RismadarVoice Reporters
July 1, 2026
The Presidency has distanced itself from a man identified as Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, describing him as an impostor who falsely presented himself as Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the Office of the Chief of Staff had, in October 2025, alerted security agencies to the activities of the suspect after complaints that the fictitious body was operating as a government agency.
According to the statement, the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the alleged forgery of official appointment letters, fake government documents and the impersonation of public officials.
The Presidency said investigations established that the agency purportedly headed by Adeyemi did not exist and that he allegedly forged documents, falsely paraded himself as a presidential appointee and sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for himself and others.
The statement added that the Nigeria Police arrested the suspect in Abuja on October 27, 2025, searched his office and residence, and recovered several incriminating documents.
It further disclosed that investigators uncovered 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious government agencies, and also found that the suspect had fraudulently opened a Central Bank of Nigeria account using forged documents, although no government funds were paid into the account.
The Presidency said the police subsequently filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two others before the Federal High Court, Abuja, with the matter scheduled for hearing on July 27, 2026.
The statement urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from spreading the suspect’s claims, noting that the matter is before the court and remains sub judice.
