The Presidency has dismissed allegations linking the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to the activities of an alleged fake government agency, insisting that the office was fictitious and that its purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is facing criminal charges over forgery and impersonation.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Office of the Chief of Staff was the first to alert security agencies to the activities of the alleged impostor after complaints emerged that a non-existent agency was operating alongside legitimate government institutions.
According to the Presidency, Gbajabiamila wrote to the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
The statement said the forged documents falsely appointed Adeyemi as Director-General of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an agency the Presidency maintained never existed.
It alleged that Adeyemi and his associates operated from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, held meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian officials, and sought a diplomatic note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for staff members.
According to the Presidency, the activities of the group undermined the integrity of the Presidency and official government communications.
The statement noted that concerns over the agency had also been raised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, in October 2025, requested clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff after Adeyemi reportedly held a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments without the ministry’s involvement.
The ministry reportedly described the action as a violation of established diplomatic procedures.
The Presidency said both the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently sought clarification on Adeyemi’s status, prompting Gbajabiamila to categorically deny issuing any appointment letter to him.
According to the statement, the Chief of Staff also pointed out that appointments into federal government offices fall within the constitutional responsibilities of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not his office.
Following investigations, the Nigeria Police arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025, at the office from which he allegedly operated the fictitious agency.
The Presidency said police searches of his office and residence in Suleja uncovered forged appointment letters and other documents allegedly used to impersonate government officials.
Investigators also reportedly established that Adeyemi had fraudulently presented himself as a presidential appointee and sought official diplomatic privileges using forged documents.
According to the statement, police investigations further revealed that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including several allegedly opened in the names of fictitious agencies.
The Presidency also alleged that he used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although investigators found no evidence that public funds had been paid into the account.
Based on its findings, the Nigeria Police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other suspects before the Federal High Court of Nigeria on November 27, 2025. The case is scheduled to resume on July 27.
The Presidency said Adeyemi’s recent claim that Gbajabiamila appointed him as Director-General contradicted statements he allegedly made during police investigations.
It added that the Chief of Staff issued another public disclaimer on June 8, reaffirming that Adeyemi was unknown to his office and describing him as an impostor.
Onanuga urged politicians and members of the public to refrain from drawing conclusions while the matter remains before the court, stressing that the allegations are sub judice and should be left for judicial determination.
