Fresh revelations have emerged on why President Bola Tinubu dismissed Fegho Umunubo, his Special Assistant on Digital and Creative Economy, who served in the office of Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Presidency sources told PREMIUM TIMES that Umunubo was linked to a string of fraudulent sponsorship schemes in the creative sector, allegedly executed under the cover of his presidential office.

One notable case involved a deal with author and filmmaker Arese Ugwu, creator of The Smart Money Woman series. Documents seen by this newspaper show that Umunubo, acting in his official capacity, signed an agreement to sponsor the premiere and marketing of Lara Unlimited, a spin-off project, with N10 million. The deal promised promotional visibility for the presidency’s digital economy office, including event branding, adverts, podcast mentions, and influencer shoutouts.

However, Umunubo reportedly failed to honour the terms. On August 30, Ugwu accused him publicly on Instagram, dismissing claims that her grievance was over a minor sum. “Just so it’s clear that I’m not crashing out over 5 million naira as Fegho Umunubo would like you to believe,” she wrote.

Insiders say similar incidents occurred across Nollywood, with Umunubo allegedly leveraging his proximity to power to gain trust and secure deals that never materialised. “He scammed multiple people in the industry using that office,” one source alleged.

Though quietly relieved of his role in August, Umunubo continued to present himself as a presidential aide until the State House issued a formal announcement on Monday—its first-ever public disclaimer against a presidential aide.

When contacted, Umunubo did not respond to inquiries but wrote on Instagram: “It’s been an honour to serve this great country and the creative industry.”