The Presidency has dismissed renewed claims by Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew that he was appointed to lead a presidential agency, insisting he is an impostor who allegedly forged official documents to present himself as Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the alleged fraud was uncovered after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) complained that a parallel body was operating as though it were a government agency.

Onanuga said the Office of the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging presidential appointment letters and presenting themselves as government officials.

The Presidency said the forged documents carried fake signatures, reference numbers and official seals, enabling Adeyemi to claim leadership of the fictitious council. It also alleged that he operated from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where he met with Nigerians and foreign nationals while posing as a government official.

According to the statement, Adeyemi also sought diplomatic assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by requesting a note verbale to facilitate United States visa applications for members of the purported agency.

The Presidency further revealed that concerns escalated after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja without the knowledge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry subsequently sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Staff over the status of the council.

The Office of the Chief of Staff denied issuing any appointment letter to Adeyemi and stated that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council did not exist, stressing that federal appointments are processed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Police arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at his Abuja office. Searches conducted there and at his Suleja residence reportedly uncovered documents and other exhibits linked to the investigation.

Investigators alleged that Adeyemi claimed one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the forged appointment letter. However, police said Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.

The Presidency said police concluded that the council was fictitious and that the appointment letter and related official documents were forged. Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi falsely represented himself as a presidential appointee and improperly sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the statement, investigators discovered that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious government agencies. Police also alleged that forged documents were used to open a Central Bank of Nigeria account through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although no public funds were deposited into the account.

Following the investigation, police charged Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025, on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27.

The Presidency said Adeyemi has continued to claim that he was appointed by the Chief of Staff despite allegedly making contrary statements during police investigations. It added that the Chief of Staff issued another public disclaimer on June 8, 2026, reiterating that Adeyemi was never appointed to any presidential office.

The statement also alleged that Adeyemi had previously claimed to head the World Youth Organisation in 2016 before the United Nations reportedly distanced itself from the organisation.

The Presidency urged the public and political actors not to rely on Adeyemi’s claims, noting that the matter is before the court and should be allowed to proceed through the judicial process.