The Presidency has dismissed claims linking the Office of the Chief of Staff to the appointment of one Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as Director-General of a purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council cum Presidential Economic Advisory Council, describing the agency as fictitious.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Office of the Chief of Staff had, as far back as October 2025, alerted security agencies to the activities of individuals allegedly forging presidential appointment letters and operating under the guise of a non-existent government agency.
According to the statement, the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, after receiving complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission that a parallel agency was operating in conflict with its statutory responsibilities.
The petition alleged that forged appointment letters bearing fake signatures, reference numbers and official seals were being used to present Adeyemi as Director-General of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The statement further alleged that the group operated from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, held meetings with diplomats and members of the public, and sought a note verbale from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for its members.
The Presidency said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also raised concerns after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without the ministry’s involvement, describing the action as contrary to established diplomatic procedures.
According to the statement, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation subsequently sought clarification on the status of the agency. The Chief of Staff, however, denied issuing any appointment letter, stressing that appointments are processed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and not his office.
The Presidency said the police arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025, following investigations. Searches conducted at his office and residence in Suleja allegedly led to the recovery of forged documents and other exhibits.
According to the police investigation cited in the statement, Adeyemi claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the forged appointment letter. Investigators later established that Tanimola had died in a hotel fire in Abuja days before Adeyemi’s arrest.
The statement said investigators concluded that the agency Adeyemi claimed to head did not exist, and that he allegedly forged appointment documents, impersonated a government official and fraudulently sought diplomatic documentation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Police also alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine in the names of fictitious agencies, and fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. The statement noted, however, that no government funds were paid into the account.
The Presidency said the police subsequently 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.
Onanuga said Adeyemi, who is currently on police bail, recently renewed claims that he was appointed by the Chief of Staff, a position he said contradicted the suspect’s earlier statement to investigators. He added that the Chief of Staff issued another public disclaimer on June 8, reaffirming that Adeyemi was not known to his office.
The presidential spokesman also alleged that Adeyemi had a history of fraudulent misrepresentation, citing a 2016 incident in which he reportedly claimed to represent a youth organisation allegedly affiliated with the United Nations—a claim the UN reportedly denied.
Onanuga urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from concluding while the matter remains before the court, noting that the case is sub judice.
