The Presidency has directed security agencies to investigate and dismantle a criminal network linked to an alleged multi-billion-naira fraud involving a fictitious government agency.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Police have been tasked with uncovering collaborators who aided Prince Matthew Adeniyi in posing as the head of a non-existent body, the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Ajayi alleged that internal actors enabled Adeniyi to forge presidential appointment letters, operate 34 bank accounts under fake government entities, host foreign diplomats, and fraudulently open a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account. He described Adeniyi as a “con artist” who exploited public perceptions of corruption to deflect scrutiny, including linking the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to his scheme.
According to the Presidency, the fraud was eventually uncovered by officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who flagged irregularities and reported them to authorities.
Gbajabiamila had earlier issued a public disclaimer on June 11, 2026, stating that the PFIPC had no official recognition. Presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga later disclosed that Adeniyi had been facing an eight-count criminal charge since November 2025, including allegations of maintaining multiple fraudulent accounts and deceiving government officials to open a CBN account.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), however, has called for an independent investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), questioning the Presidency’s stance and seeking clarification on reports that ₦24 billion was budgeted for the non-existent agency.
Adeniyi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026, alongside two accomplices who remain at large.
