The Presidency has cleared the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any involvement in the appointment of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, describing claims that he appointed the latter as Director General of a purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council as false and misleading.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said both councils are fictitious and that the Office of the Chief of Staff had, as far back as October 2025, alerted security agencies to the activities of individuals forging official appointment letters and impersonating government officials under the guise of a non-existent presidential agency.
According to the statement, investigations commenced after complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) over the activities of the fake agency, which allegedly held meetings with diplomats, government officials and foreign investors while presenting itself as a legitimate federal institution.
The Presidency disclosed that Adeyemi was arrested by the Nigeria Police Force on October 27, 2025, following investigations at his office in the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, and his residence in Suleja. Security operatives reportedly recovered forged appointment letters, official documents and other exhibits allegedly used to perpetrate the scheme.
Police investigations allegedly established that the suspect forged government documents, impersonated a presidential appointee, fraudulently sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and operated multiple bank accounts linked to fictitious government agencies.
Investigators also alleged that he fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account using forged documents, although no government funds were paid into the account.
The statement said the police subsequently filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025, with the case scheduled for hearing on July 27, 2026.
The Presidency stressed that Gbajabiamila never issued any appointment letter to Adeyemi, noting that the Office of the Chief of Staff does not make appointments into federal agencies, as such powers rest exclusively with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
It added that Gbajabiamila was, in fact, the first senior government official to petition security agencies and request a thorough investigation into the alleged forgery and impersonation.
While urging politicians and members of the public not to amplify what it described as false claims, the Presidency maintained that the matter is already before the court and should be allowed to proceed without prejudice.
It described Adeyemi as an alleged serial impostor with a history of fraudulent misrepresentation and called on Nigerians to await the outcome of the judicial process.
