Fake Presidential Council operated from federal secretariat — Presidency alleges

…As Police trace 34 bank accounts linked to operation

…Says suspect forged official signatures,  government seals

…July 27 for trial of prime suspect

By Precious Mark

The Presidency has declared that the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council is a fictitious organisation, releasing fresh details of an alleged fraud syndicate ahead of the formal trial of its suspected promoter later this month. The disclosure follows an earlier public disclaimer issued by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, which cautioned that neither the council nor any appointments purportedly made under its name had the approval or recognition of the Federal Government.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed the details in a statement issued on Wednesday, outlining the alleged activities of the syndicate before the trial scheduled to begin on July 27, 2026.

According to the Presidency, the principal suspect, Mr Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, who also identified himself as Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, allegedly established and operated an illegal organisation known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which he also presented as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

The Presidency said suspicions first arose after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council detected an unfamiliar body carrying out functions that duplicated the agency’s statutory responsibilities. The discovery prompted the Office of the Chief of Staff to petition the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services on October 17, 2025, calling for an immediate investigation and crackdown on syndicates allegedly involved in forging presidential appointment letters, official signatures and government seals.

According to the statement, investigators discovered that the suspect had established a physical operational base on the second floor of Phase III of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja. From the office, he allegedly held high-level meetings with Nigerian business leaders and foreign nationals. He was also said to have formally requested a note verbale through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the United States Government to facilitate entry visas for members of his staff.

The Presidency further disclosed that the activities of the purported council had earlier generated diplomatic concerns within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Consequently, Ambassador Anderson Madubuike wrote to the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff on October 15, 2025, requesting urgent verification of the suspect’s status after he allegedly convened an unauthorised meeting with foreign ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro on October 10, 2025, without following established diplomatic procedures.

Acting on the October 17 petition, a police team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Kabir Mogaji arrested the suspect on October 27, 2025, at the alleged illegal office within the Federal Secretariat.

The Presidency stated that investigators subsequently conducted a comprehensive review of the suspect’s financial records, which allegedly uncovered 34 separate bank accounts. Nine of the accounts, according to the statement, were opened using unauthorised names, including the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Public Private Partnership.

During interrogation, the suspect allegedly identified Mr Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola as the accomplice who assisted him in obtaining the forged appointment letter. Investigators, however, later established that Tanimola had died in a hotel fire at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, 2025.

Following the conclusion of investigations, the police filed an eight-count charge bordering on forgery and impersonation before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025. The case is scheduled to commence on July 27, 2026.