By Seun Ibiyemi
The Presidency has dismissed claims by Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew that he was appointed Director-General of a Presidential Economic Advisory Council, insisting that the agency he purportedly headed never existed and describing him as an impostor facing prosecution for alleged forgery and impersonation.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the State House said the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President was the first to alert security agencies to the activities of the alleged fraudster after complaints emerged that a purported government agency was operating at cross-purposes with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC).
According to the statement, the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
The Presidency said the forged documents were allegedly used to present Adeyemi as Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, with the suspect reportedly operating from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja while holding meetings with Nigerians and foreign diplomats.
It added that the fake organisation allegedly sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for its staff, an action that raised concerns within the ministry.
The statement disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had, in October 2025, sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors in Abuja without the ministry’s involvement, describing the action as a violation of established diplomatic procedures.
The Presidency maintained that the Chief of Staff consistently denied any knowledge of Adeyemi or the purported council, stressing that appointments to government agencies are made through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and not by the Chief of Staff.
According to the statement, police investigations led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the office where he allegedly operated the fake agency. Security operatives reportedly recovered forged appointment letters and other documents during searches of his office and residence.
The investigation, the Presidency said, established that the agency was fictitious and that Adeyemi allegedly forged appointment documents, falsely represented himself as a government appointee, and sought official diplomatic support under false pretences.
The police also alleged that the suspect operated 34 bank accounts, including several in the names of fictitious government agencies, and fraudulently opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
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However, the statement noted that investigators found no evidence that government funds had been transferred into the account.
Based on its findings, the Nigeria Police Force filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27, 2026.
The Presidency said Adeyemi’s recent claim that he was legitimately appointed by the Chief of Staff contradicted his earlier statement to investigators, prompting another public disclaimer from the Chief of Staff on June 8.
It further alleged that Adeyemi had a history of making false claims, recalling that in 2016 he presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of a purported World Youth Organisation allegedly affiliated with the United Nations, a claim that was later discredited.
The State House urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from drawing conclusions while the matter remains before the court, noting that the case is sub judice and should be allowed to run its legal course.
