The Presidency has dismissed claims linking the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to the appointment of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, describing the allegations as false and insisting that the suspect operated a fictitious presidential agency using forged documents.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said Gbajabiamila was, in fact, the first government official to alert security agencies to the activities of the alleged impostor after complaints emerged from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC).
According to the statement, the Office of the Chief of Staff wrote to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging official appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
“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 fake documents, bearing falsified signatures, reference/folio numbers, and seals, have been used to claim leadership appointments to non-existent entities, with particular reference to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council,” the petition read.
The Presidency said the fake organisation, allegedly headed by Adeyemi as Director-General, operated from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where its operators reportedly held meetings with local and foreign officials while presenting themselves as a legitimate government agency.
The statement further quoted the Chief of Staff as saying the group had even sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate United States visas for some of its members.
“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.
“I therefore urge you to initiate a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend those involved and also to uncover the network facilitating the forgery,” the letter added.
The Presidency disclosed that the petition was accompanied by copies of the forged appointment letter, documents requesting diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and photographs of activities obtained from the group’s website.
It said concerns over the existence of the alleged fake agency had also been raised within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On October 15, 2025, the ministry reportedly sought clarification from both the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Staff after Adeyemi held a meeting with ambassadors in Abuja without involving the ministry.
“This act contravenes extant rules and regulations guiding diplomatic practices globally,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry stated in its correspondence.
According to the Presidency, subsequent exchanges involving the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation prompted the Chief of Staff to again deny any association with Adeyemi or the organisation.
In a letter dated November 5, 2025, Gbajabiamila stated: “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.
“My attention was drawn to a letter of this purported application, which is fake, and my office has instructed the police and other relevant security agencies to carry out investigations on the person and the entity he claims to represent.”
The Presidency said police investigations led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the office where he allegedly ran the operation. Searches conducted at both the office and his residence reportedly uncovered forged documents and other exhibits.
Investigators also established that the agency he claimed to head did not exist and that he allegedly forged appointment documents, falsely presented himself as a government appointee and sought diplomatic support to obtain United States visas.
The statement further alleged that police uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi, including nine reportedly opened in the names of fictitious agencies. Investigators also claimed he fraudulently secured a Central Bank account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although no government funds were transferred into the account.
“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 investigation report stated.
The Presidency said Adeyemi and two others were arraigned on an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025, and are expected back in court on July 27.
It noted that while on police bail, Adeyemi publicly claimed that the Chief of Staff appointed him to head the alleged council, a position the Presidency said contradicted the statement he earlier made to investigators.
Onanuga described Adeyemi as “a clear case of a con artist” who allegedly built “a web of false claims” to deceive public officials and members of the public.
He also recalled that in 2016, Adeyemi allegedly presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, claiming it was affiliated with the United Nations, before the UN reportedly denied the existence of such an organisation.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public to avoid drawing conclusions before the conclusion of the ongoing court proceedings, stressing that the matter is already before the court.