The Presidency has dismissed claims by Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew that he was appointed Director-General of a so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, describing him as an impostor who forged documents to create and operate a non-existent government agency.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, , said the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President first alerted security agencies after complaints that the fake agency was operating at cross-purposes with the .

According to the statement, the Chief of Staff petitioned the and the on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.

The Presidency said the forged documents, bearing fake signatures, reference numbers and official seals, were used to claim leadership appointments to a non-existent entity known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

It alleged that Adeyemi operated from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, where he held meetings with Nigerians and foreign nationals and even requested a note verbale from the to facilitate U.S. visas for members of his purported agency.

The petition was accompanied by copies of the forged appointment letter, the visa-related correspondence and photographs obtained from the fake agency’s website.

The statement added that concerns about the organisation had already been raised by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff on October 15, 2025, seeking clarification after Adeyemi reportedly held a meeting with ambassadors at Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge.

According to the ministry, the meeting violated established diplomatic procedures.

The Office of the National Security Adviser subsequently referred the matter to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which also sought clarification from the Chief of Staff following enquiries from government and non-governmental organisations.

The Presidency said the Chief of Staff categorically denied appointing Adeyemi, stressing that the agency did not exist and noting that appointments are made by the OSGF, not his office.

In a November 5, 2025 response to the OSGF, the Chief of Staff reiterated that neither Adeyemi nor the purported council was known to the Presidency and confirmed that security agencies had already been directed to investigate.

The statement said police arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at the Abuja office where he allegedly operated the scheme. Searches of the office and his residence in Suleja reportedly yielded several documents and exhibits.

During interrogation, Adeyemi allegedly told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola helped him procure the fake appointment letter. However, police later established that Tanimola had died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, five days before Adeyemi’s arrest, and confirmed his death at the morgue.

According to the Presidency, police investigations concluded that the agency was fictitious, the appointment letter and other documents were forged, and Adeyemi falsely presented himself as a presidential appointee while also seeking diplomatic documentation to obtain U.S. visas.

Investigators also allegedly discovered that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine opened in the names of fictitious organisations such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).

The statement further alleged that Adeyemi fraudulently opened a account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although investigators found that no government funds had been paid into the account.

Police reportedly concluded that his actions amounted to forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, bringing the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency into disrepute.

Based on the findings, police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the on November 27, 2025. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27, 2026.

The Presidency noted that while on police bail, Adeyemi recently renewed claims that he had been appointed by the Chief of Staff, contradicting his earlier statement to investigators. It said this prompted another public disclaimer by the Chief of Staff on June 8, 2026.

The statement also alleged that Adeyemi had previously falsely presented himself in 2016 as an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the . The Presidency said the UN later denied the existence of such an organisation.

The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to accept Adeyemi’s claims, describing the matter as being before the court and advising all parties to await the outcome of the trial.