Presidency Faces Questions as FG Charges Controversial DG in Fake Agency Case

The Nigerian Presidency is currently under renewed public and legal scrutiny following the prosecution of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi. Adeyemi is facing eight counts of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has weighed in, asserting that the Presidency lacks the constitutional power to clear anyone involved in this matter. Falana has called for an independent investigation into both Adeyemi and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Police investigations led to Adeyemi's charges, which include allegedly running a fictitious government body, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. He is also accused of forging a presidential appointment letter, supposedly signed by Gbajabiamila, and operating 34 bank accounts under the names of non-existent government entities.

On Wednesday, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, released a statement titled ‘Re:The Matter of Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew and the Fictitious Presidential Economic Advisory Council.’ The statement detailed the criminal case, including the police investigation report, the charges filed, and highlighted Adeyemi's extensive history of fraudulent activities. The Presidency also cautioned politicians against using the incident to attack the Chief of Staff.

According to the Presidency, Adeyemi, who had been posing as the Director-General of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, was apprehended by the police on October 27, 2025. His arrest occurred at his office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, following a formal petition by Gbajabiamila to the DSS and Police on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into what he described as an elaborate scheme of forgery and impersonation.

The Nigeria Police Force officially filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices, identified only as Femi and Anu (who are currently at large), at the Federal High Court on November 27, 2025, under charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/2025. The charges include conspiracy to commit forgery, forging presidential appointment documents, forging official State House letterheads, forging requests for office accommodation and collaboration with government ministries, impersonating the Director-General of the purported council, and forging additional official correspondence to legitimize the fake organization. Specifically, Count Two states: “That you, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, forged an appointment letter purported to have been issued by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.” Count Five alleges: “That you falsely personate as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.”

The Presidency revealed that Adeyemi, while out on police bail, recently re-emerged claiming Gbajabiamila had appointed him as Director-General of the same fictitious agency. This claim directly contradicted his own statement to the police from November 2024, prompting the Chief of Staff to issue a public disclaimer on June 8, 2026. Adeyemi is scheduled to appear in court on July 27, 2026.

The case reportedly began with complaints from officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission about another body seemingly operating in conflict with their mandate. Before Gbajabiamila's petition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also independently raised concerns. This was after Adeyemi hosted ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro on October 10, 2025, without any engagement or notification to the ministry. In a letter dated October 15, 2025, signed by Anderson Madubuike, the ministry sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Staff, stating: “This act contravenes extant rules and regulations guiding diplomatic practices globally.” Subsequently, the NSA wrote to the SGF’s office on October 20, and the SGF’s office wrote to the Chief of Staff on October 29, requesting clarification. However, two days prior to the latter letter, Gbajabiamila had already sent a rebuttal to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, denying any such appointment.

In his petition to security agencies, Gbajabiamila had written: “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 and 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.” He further stated: “They have been parading themselves as a legitimate government agency, hosting meetings with both foreigners and Nigerian citizens, and even going so far as to request a Note Verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United States of America to facilitate visas for some of their staff. 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.”

The police investigation, led by Assistant Commissioner Kabir Mogaji, discovered that Adeyemi managed 34 bank accounts, nine of which were opened under the names of fictitious agencies like the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership and the FCT Investment Promotion Act. He also allegedly opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account fraudulently by deceiving the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation with forged government documents. While the Presidency confirmed no government funds were transferred into this account, the police described the action as “a deliberate attempt to infiltrate official financial systems for potential diversion of government funds, money laundering and other financial crimes” and recommended freezing all 34 identified accounts pending prosecution.

Police executed search warrants at Adeyemi’s office in the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, and his residence at APC Quarters, Suleja, Niger State. Recovered items included forged appointment letters, official letterheads, correspondence addressed to government institutions, photographs, and other related materials. Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking a Note Verbale to the US Embassy to facilitate entry visas for purported staff. Additionally, three officials from the Office of the Accountant-General confirmed they were posted to his office in August 2025 but performed no official duties during their tenure.

In his police statement, Adeyemi claimed one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola helped him obtain the forged appointment letter. When officers searched for Tanimola, they found he had died in a fire at Kachi Hotel in Utako, Abuja, on October 22, 2025, just five days before Adeyemi’s arrest. The Presidency confirmed Tanimola’s death through interviews with his relatives, the hotel proprietor, and confirmations from the National Hospital and St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, regarding his burial. The Presidency also noted that Adeyemi has a history of such conduct, recalling an instance in November 2016 where he posed as an Ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, falsely claiming UN affiliation and an election in New Delhi, India.