Adeyemi, the man in Nigeria’s ₦1.3bn ‘ghost agency’ scandal

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew has become one of the most talked-about figures in Nigeria following allegations that he presented himself as the Director-General of a government agency the Presidency insists does not exist.

Adeyemi, who describes himself as a public administrator and investment promoter, is currently facing an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of forgery, impersonation and operating a fictitious government agency.

Despite the criminal charges, he has continued to insist that he is the legitimate head of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an agency the Presidency has repeatedly described as non-existent.

Adeyemi came under national scrutiny after claiming to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to in some documents as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

He claimed the council was established to attract foreign investment into Nigeria and alleged that it had offices, staff, bank accounts and official government approvals.

He also alleged during a television interview that he paid ₦400 million to secure his appointment, a claim the Presidency has strongly denied.

Presidency says agency is fake

The Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has consistently maintained that the agency has no legal backing and was never created by the Federal Government.

According to the Presidency, Adeyemi forged official documents, including appointment letters bearing the names and signatures of senior government officials, to portray himself as the head of the council.

It also alleged that he operated from an office inside Phase III of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, where he reportedly hosted meetings with government officials, diplomats, foreign investors and members of the public.

Investigators further alleged that he sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate visa applications for individuals linked to the purported agency.

Budget controversy

The controversy deepened after reports showed that an entity listed as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, or similar variations, received over ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

According to budget documents, the allocation comprised about ₦802.98 million for personnel costs, ₦200 million for overhead, and ₦300 million for capital expenditure, bringing the total allocation to more than ₦1.3 billion.

The budget provision has attracted widespread public scrutiny, with critics questioning how an agency the Presidency now describes as non-existent was included in the federal budget.

While acknowledging the budget allocation, the Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC was never lawfully created or recognised under the Tinubu administration.

The issue has also prompted calls from opposition figures, lawyers and civil society groups for an investigation into how the agency made its way into the budget despite the multiple approval stages involving the Budget Office, Federal Executive Council, National Assembly and presidential assent.

Arrest and court case

Following a petition by the Chief of Staff in October 2025, security agencies launched an investigation.

Adeyemi was arrested on October 27, 2025, while operating from the Federal Secretariat.

Police investigations reportedly uncovered dozens of bank accounts allegedly linked to him, including accounts said to have been opened using false representations.

On November 27, 2025, the Nigeria Police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two others before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The charges include forgery, impersonation, false personation and operating a fictitious government agency.

His next court appearance has been scheduled for July 27, 2026.

Previous controversy

The latest allegations are not the first time Adeyemi has attracted public attention.

In 2016, he was widely reported to have emerged as President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations.

The claim received widespread media attention before the UN reportedly denied any affiliation with the organisation, prompting questions over its authenticity.

The Presidency has cited the episode as evidence of what it describes as a pattern of false representation.

His defence

Speaking on Thursday on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Adeyemi rejected allegations that he is an impostor.

“I’m not a con artiste. Let the court decide on the matter.”

Questioning the Presidency’s position, he argued that he could not have openly interacted with senior government officials if the agency did not exist.

“Let’s assume the agency does not exist. Would I have the temerity to be going all over the country meeting the heads of agencies and departments if they know that the agency does not exist or, as alleged, that I cooked everything?”

He also pointed to his meetings with ambassadors and other government officials as evidence supporting his claims.

Adeyemi acknowledged that he is a member of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State but denied suggestions that his alleged appointment was a political reward.

Questions over background

Adeyemi has publicly claimed to have attended Anglican Grammar School, Igbara-Oke, studied at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and obtained a master’s degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

However, those claims have not been independently verified by government authorities or major public records.

For now, the legitimacy of his claimed appointment remains at the centre of a legal battle, with the Presidency maintaining that the PFIPC was never established and that the matter should be determined by the courts.