The Presidency has dismissed fresh claims by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew linking himself to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, describing him as an impostor who allegedly forged documents and fraudulently paraded himself as the Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, later referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said investigations by security agencies had already established that Adeyemi’s purported appointment and the agency he claimed to head were fictitious.
The Presidency disclosed that concerns over the activities of the illegal organisation first emerged after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission complained that another body was operating in a manner that appeared to conflict with its statutory responsibilities.
Following the complaints, the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned security agencies on October 17, 2025, demanding a thorough investigation into what it described as a network of fraudsters forging official government documents and impersonating federal authorities.
In the petition, the Chief of Staff warned that individuals linked to the fake council had been issuing forged appointment letters and falsely presenting themselves as government officials.
“The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office,” the petition stated.
It added that the group, allegedly led by Adeyemi as Director-General, operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, held meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian stakeholders, and even sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for visa processing.
“The above development not only constitutes a serious criminal act but also undermines the integrity of the Presidency and the credibility of official government communication,” the Chief of Staff stated while urging security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible.
The Presidency revealed that the matter had also attracted the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge or approval.
In a letter dated October 15, 2025, the ministry sought clarification from both the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Staff regarding the status of the organisation.
According to the ministry, Adeyemi’s action violated established diplomatic procedures.
“This act contravenes extant rules and regulations guiding diplomatic practices globally,” the ministry stated.As inquiries intensified, both the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser sought clarification on Adeyemi’s status.
Responding, the Chief of Staff categorically denied any association with the suspect or the purported agency.
“Prince Adeniyi Matthew, Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, is unknown to any office, nor do we have any dealings with the said council,” the Chief of Staff stated in a November 5, 2025 correspondence.
He further stressed that the alleged appointment letter being circulated by Adeyemi was fake and reaffirmed that relevant security agencies had already been directed to investigate the matter.
Police investigations subsequently led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the Abuja office from where he allegedly operated the scheme.
According to the Presidency, a search of both his office and residence uncovered documents and exhibits believed to have been used in perpetrating the alleged fraud.Investigators reportedly established that the agency Adeyemi claimed to head did not exist, while documents recovered from him were found to be forged.
The police also alleged that Adeyemi falsely represented himself as a government appointee and improperly sought a diplomatic note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visa applications for himself and associates.
Further investigations reportedly uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious government agencies and entities.
The police also discovered that he allegedly used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
However, investigators said no government funds were traced to the account.Summarising its findings, the police concluded that Adeyemi’s activities amounted to forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
“The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community,” the police report stated.
Based on its findings, the police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025.
The Presidency noted that despite making statements to investigators during the probe, Adeyemi recently resurfaced with fresh claims that he had been appointed by the Chief of Staff a position it described as contradictory to his earlier account and inconsistent with established facts.
Consequently, the Chief of Staff issued another disclaimer on June 8, 2026, reiterating that Adeyemi was an impostor and had no relationship whatsoever with the Presidency.
The Presidency further argued that Adeyemi had a history of alleged fraudulent misrepresentation, recalling a 2016 incident in which he reportedly presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of the so-called World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations, only for the UN to later deny the existence of such an organisation.
Onanuga urged politicians and members of the public to avoid amplifying what he described as false narratives surrounding the case, stressing that the matter is already before the court.
“The case of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew is a clear case of a con artist who appears to have built a web of false claims to deceive unsuspecting government officials and the public,” the statement said.
He advised interested parties to allow the judicial process run its course and await the court’s verdict rather than rely on claims that have already been challenged by multiple government institutions and security agencies.
