July 5 (THEWILL) — The ongoing public outrage, regarding the ambiguities surrounding the trial of Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew on July 27, 2026, over an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, according to the presidency, will only be calmed when both sides adduce evidence in the court to unravel the issue and convince Nigerians of what happened and who did what.
The presidency alleged that Adeniyi who parades himself as a presidential appointee and Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council cum Presidential Economic Advisory Council will face an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretence.
A defiant Adeyemi said he was ready to spill the bins in court. “In fact, I’m restricted from talking since the matter is in the courts. So, let’s just get to the courts, Ok?” he stated in a television interview, maintaining that the absolute truth would be unravelled before a judge.
Mr Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, is his legal counsel.
The issues Nigerians in their reactions want answered surround administrative, institutional and procedural questions. How did a supposedly fraudulent organisation ran by a fraudster hold talks with diplomats, run a budget approved by the National Assembly, operated over 30 accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, had an office at the State House, had over 300 staffs appointed by the Head of Service, with seven Directors and who signed his letter of appointment?
Giving an insight into the magnitude of the matter, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, disclosed in a post on his X handle at the weekend that systemic corruption is at the heart of the matter.
“What is not in doubt is that internal collaborators enabled Adeniyi to get this far. That is precisely what investigators from the DSS, the Police and the EFCC must now unravel. The criminal network within the affected institutions must be dismantled and everyone found to have played a role should be arrested and prosecuted,” Ajayi wrote, adding that investigators from the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been tasked with uncovering the full extent of the alleged collaboration.
Earlier, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said that the suspect’s recent claims that he was appointed by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President were false and contradicted the findings of security agencies as well as his earlier statement to investigators.
According to him, the Office of the Chief of Staff first uncovered the alleged fraud in October 2025 after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) complained that another organisation was operating as though it were a federal government agency while performing functions similar to those of the council.
Following the complaints, the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
The petition alleged that forged documents bearing fake signatures, official seals and reference numbers were being used to appoint individuals to non-existent government agencies, particularly the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The Presidency said copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, requests made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and photographs obtained from the organisation’s website were forwarded to security agencies as evidence.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also raised concerns after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Abuja on October 10, 2025, without the knowledge or approval of the ministry.
In a letter dated October 15, 2025, and signed by Ambassador Anderson Madubuike, the ministry sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Chief of Staff regarding the status of the organisation, warning that the meeting violated established diplomatic procedures.
The ONSA subsequently referred the matter to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which sought clarification from the Chief of Staff following inquiries from several government and non-governmental bodies.
The Presidency said the Chief of Staff categorically denied appointing Adeyemi or recognising the purported council, stressing that the office neither knew the suspect nor had any dealings with the organisation.
It also noted that appointments into federal government agencies are the constitutional responsibility of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and not the Office of the Chief of Staff.
Police investigations later led to Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the Abuja office where he allegedly operated the scheme. Searches conducted at both his office and residence in Suleja reportedly yielded documents and exhibits believed to be linked to the alleged fraud.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi informed investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the forged appointment letter.
However, police investigations established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, 2025, five days before Adeyemi’s arrest, with officers confirming his death at the morgue.
The Presidency also disclosed that investigators uncovered 34 bank accounts allegedly linked to Adeyemi, including nine opened in the names of fictitious organisations such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).
It further alleged that forged documents were used to fraudulently open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through misrepresentation to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although investigators confirmed that no government funds were transferred into the account.
Based on the outcome of the investigation, the Nigeria Police Force filed an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025, against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices.
The case has been scheduled for trial on July 27, 2026. In his own defence, Adeyemi who addressed the press, called for independent, impartial investigation of the matter.
He said the matter was clouded in public misrepresentation, institutional denial, and deliberate attempts to silence legitimate questions that concern matters of national interest,
He stated that the disclaimer issued on July 11, 2026 by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, raised more questions than answers.
“Let’s assume for one second that all what the chief of staff published were right, that the agency does not exist. Then how did the agency’s name get into the 2026 appropriation budget pages 50 and 51, Prince Adeyemi asked?
He further asked, “If the agency does not exist, yet found its way into the Nigerian national budget, what that means is that the entire 2026 appropriation budget is a fraud and should be discarded. What the chief of staff to the president is now saying by his denial published in various national dailies is that our 109 Distinguished Senators, where we have Seasoned administrators, former governors and diverse professional experts are incompetent not to have discovered the fake Agency in the National Budget. What It means is that Our 360 Reps members of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are rubber stamped, as they are being speculated.
He said the major “rationale behind the disagreement between myself and the Chief of Staff is because he allegedly requested 48 per cent of the take-off grant (#27,395,510,136) from the same agency which he denies exists to which I rejected. He collected a total sum of 400 Million by proxy with the remaining balance of 200 Million to secure the said appointment.”
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
