Fake Nigerian government agency boss arrested after weeks on the run
Man accused of running fake presidency-linked agency detained as corruption investigation expands
Nigerian police have arrested Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the man accused of creating and operating a fake government agency that allegedly functioned from offices inside Nigeria’s presidential complex for nearly two years.
Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria, after a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant following his failure to appear for a hearing on charges including forgery and impersonation.
He had presented himself as the director general of the “Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council” (PFIPC), an agency authorities say was never officially created by the Nigerian government.
Fake agency operated from government offices
The controversy gained national attention after President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation into the organisation.
According to the presidency, documents claiming to establish the PFIPC were forged. Police forensic examinations reportedly found that the signature of Tinubu’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on an appointment letter was also fake.
Despite its alleged lack of legal approval, the organisation operated from office space at Abuja’s Federal Secretariat, a government complex housing several ministries.
The PFIPC was also listed in Nigeria’s 2026 budget with a proposed allocation of 1.3 billion naira, although officials later said the agency never received government funds or operated an official Central Bank of Nigeria account.
Investigation into alleged fraud continues
Court documents accuse Adeyemi and two others of using forged documents to establish the council, open accounts in its name and seek recognition from government institutions.
Adeyemi had claimed that the PFIPC was created in 2024 to attract foreign investment into Nigeria, but authorities say there are no records showing that the agency completed any investment deals.
Before his arrest, Adeyemi denied wrongdoing and said he feared for his safety. His lawyer told the court that he had been unable to convince him to attend the hearing.
The case has sparked calls from civil society organisations, opposition figures and legal experts for a wider investigation into how the fake agency was able to operate within government spaces.
