The Federal Government has reaffirmed that Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who allegedly posed as the head of fictitious presidential agencies, will be arraigned before the Federal High Court on July 27, 2026, following the conclusion of investigations by the Nigeria Police Force.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to Onanuga, investigations revealed that Adeyemi allegedly created and operated fake presidential bodies, including the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council, while presenting himself as a government official.
The Presidency said the alleged fraud came to light after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) reported conflicting claims of authority from an unknown agency to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
In response, the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, wrote to security agencies on October 17, 2025, alerting them to the activities of individuals suspected of forging official appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
According to the statement, the forged documents allegedly contained falsified signatures, reference numbers, folio numbers and official seals, which were used to claim appointments into non-existent government bodies and engage with foreign stakeholders.
The Presidency further alleged that the suspects held meetings with foreign diplomats and sought diplomatic facilitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for visa processing using the fake appointments.
It added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also raised concerns after Adeyemi allegedly conducted an unauthorised diplomatic engagement in Abuja in October 2025, describing the action as a violation of established diplomatic protocols.
Police arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025, at what investigators described as a fictitious secretariat. A subsequent search of his residence in Suleja reportedly led to the recovery of documents and other exhibits linked to the investigation.
Investigators also traced multiple bank accounts allegedly opened under fabricated institutional names and linked them to the operations of the fake agencies. The police further alleged that Adeyemi attempted to obtain official diplomatic facilitation through forged documents.
According to the police investigation report cited by the Presidency, the suspect’s actions amounted to criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency into disrepute.
Following the investigation, the Nigeria Police Force filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The case has been scheduled for hearing on July 27, 2026.
Onanuga also stated that while on police bail, Adeyemi allegedly continued to claim publicly that he had been appointed by the Presidency, an assertion the government said is false. He noted that the Chief of Staff had issued several public disclaimers denying any such appointment.
The statement further linked Adeyemi to similar claims dating back to 2016, when he allegedly presented himself as an official of an international organisation before being publicly disowned.
The Federal Government urged members of the public and political actors to refrain from spreading unverified information about the case, noting that the matter is now before the court.
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