The Presidency has defended the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President over allegations linking it to a purported Presidential Economic Advisory Council, describing the body as fictitious and its alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, as an impostor facing criminal prosecution.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the 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 after discovering that Adeyemi had been presenting forged appointment letters and operating a non-existent government agency.
According to the statement, the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police on October 17, 2025, following complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission that another agency claiming to represent the Presidency was carrying out conflicting activities.
The Presidency said investigations revealed that Adeyemi had been parading himself as Director-General of a so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, despite the agency having no legal existence.
It added that the suspect allegedly established an office at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, held meetings with foreign diplomats and Nigerian officials, and even requested a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for individuals claiming to be staff members.
The statement noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also raised concerns after Adeyemi reportedly convened a meeting with ambassadors in Abuja without the ministry’s knowledge or approval.
According to the Presidency, both the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation subsequently sought clarification from the Office of the Chief of Staff, which repeatedly denied any knowledge of Adeyemi or the purported agency.
The statement stressed that the Chief of Staff neither appoints heads of government agencies nor issues appointment letters, noting that such responsibilities fall under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Following investigations, police operatives arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at the office from where he allegedly operated the scheme.
Searches conducted at his office and residence reportedly led to the recovery of forged appointment letters, official documents and other exhibits.
The Presidency said police investigations established that Adeyemi forged documents, impersonated a government official, fraudulently sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and opened multiple bank accounts using fictitious government agencies.
Investigators also discovered that he allegedly operated 34 bank accounts, including nine opened in the names of non-existent agencies, and used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria by allegedly misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
However, the statement noted that no government funds were paid into the account.
The police subsequently filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 27.
The Presidency said Adeyemi recently claimed that the Chief of Staff appointed him to head the fictitious agency despite allegedly admitting during police interrogation that another individual assisted him in obtaining the forged appointment letter.
It described the latest claim as false and intended to mislead the public.
The statement also alleged that Adeyemi had a history of making false claims, recalling that in 2016 he presented himself as an ambassador and president-general of a purported United Nations-affiliated World Youth Organisation before the UN denied the existence of such an organisation.
The Presidency urged politicians and members of the public not to rely on Adeyemi’s claims, stressing that the matter is before the court and should be allowed to follow due legal process.