Adeyemi Forging Appointment Letter claims surface as the Presidency alleges he falsely posed as a presidential appointee linked to a fictitious council

The Presidency has accused Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, convener of a purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, of forging an appointment letter and falsely presenting himself as a presidential appointee, as it reiterated that the organisation has no legal recognition by the Federal Government

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The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who said Adeyemi had been operating under the guise of leading a fictitious government agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

According to Onanuga, the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President first uncovered the alleged scheme after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council raised concerns that another organisation appeared to be performing functions similar to those of the statutory agency.

The Presidency said the Chief of Staff subsequently petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging official appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.

“The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office,” the petition stated.

Onanuga said the petition alleged that the fake documents bore falsified signatures, reference numbers and official seals, enabling Adeyemi to claim appointment as Director-General of the non-existent council and to conduct meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian officials.

The Presidency further disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs separately queried the status of the organisation after Adeyemi reportedly met with ambassadors in Abuja without the ministry’s involvement, describing the action as contrary to established diplomatic practice.

According to the statement, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation also sought clarification from the Office of the Chief of Staff, which denied issuing any appointment letter or recognising either Adeyemi or the purported agency.

“My attention was drawn to a letter of this purported application, which is fake, and my office has instructed the police and other relevant security agencies to carry out investigations on the person and the entity he claims to represent,” the Chief of Staff was quoted as saying.

The Presidency said police investigations later established that the agency did not exist, while investigators allegedly recovered forged documents during searches of Adeyemi’s office in Abuja and his residence in Suleja.

Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi falsely sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for members of the organisation and operated multiple bank accounts linked to fictitious entities.

According to the statement, the Nigeria Police Force subsequently filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other defendants before the Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2025, with the matter scheduled for hearing on July 27.

The Presidency noted that Adeyemi’s recent public claim that he had been appointed Director-General contradicted his earlier statement to investigators and prompted another public disclaimer from the Office of the Chief of Staff on June 8.

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While maintaining that Adeyemi’s claims are false, the Presidency urged members of the public and political stakeholders to allow the judicial process to take its course, noting that the criminal case remains before the court and is therefore sub judice.