An interim police investigation has alleged that operatives uncovered a forgery and impersonation syndicate built around a fictitious government agency, following a petition from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
The report, titled Police Interim Investigation Report: Activities of Fraudsters/Imposters Forging Official Appointment Letters Purportedly from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, details an investigation into alleged forged appointment letters and official documents used to portray the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) as a legitimate federal government agency.
According to the report, the investigation began after the Office of the Chief of Staff petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on 17 October 2025 over the activities of individuals alleged to have forged official appointment letters purportedly issued by the office.
Police said preliminary findings indicated that the forged documents contained falsified signatures, reference numbers, official seals and the Nigerian Coat of Arms, and were allegedly used to appoint individuals to the non-existent PFIPC.
Investigators identified the principal suspect as Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the council and operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.
The report alleged that Mathew held meetings with Nigerians and foreign nationals while posing as the head of a government agency. It further claimed that he wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting a Note Verbale to the United States Embassy to facilitate visa applications for individuals described as staff of the council.
Police said the suspect was arrested on 27 October 2025 at the office from which he allegedly operated.
Following the arrest, investigators executed search warrants at the Federal Secretariat office and the suspect’s residence in APC Quarters, Suleja, Niger State. Police said they recovered alleged forged appointment letters, official letterheads, correspondence with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and other materials considered relevant to the investigation.
In his statement to investigators, the suspect allegedly claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the purported appointment letter appointing him Director-General of the PFIPC.
Police said subsequent inquiries established that Tanimola had died in a fire at Kachi Hotel in Utako, Abuja, before the suspect’s arrest.
According to the report, interviews with the deceased’s sister and the hotel proprietor, together with information obtained from the National Hospital, Abuja, and St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, corroborated the circumstances surrounding his death.
As part of the investigation, police sought a certified true copy of the purported appointment letter from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, while officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation were invited for questioning.
Three staff members posted from the Accountant-General’s office to the PFIPC office reportedly told investigators that although they had been posted there on 28 August 2025, they did not perform any official duties during the period.
Financial investigations conducted with the assistance of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) allegedly revealed that the suspect operated 34 active bank accounts across several commercial banks.
The report further alleged that nine of the accounts were opened in the names of entities presented as government agencies. Investigators also claimed that the suspect opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria through the Office of the Accountant-General in the name of the PFIPC.
Police concluded that the PFIPC “is a fictitious and unrecognised entity that does not exist within any legal framework or government structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
The report alleged that the suspect used forged documents to impersonate a federal government appointee, correspond with MDAs and conduct official engagements under the guise of the non-existent agency.
Investigators said the alleged actions could amount to offences including forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretences.
The report also identified two additional suspects, named only as Femi and Anu, whose surnames were unknown, and said they remained at large.
Among its recommendations, police proposed freezing all 34 bank accounts linked to the suspect pending prosecution, notifying the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Accountant-General to disable the account opened in the name of the PFIPC, and forwarding the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions after outstanding forensic examinations and witness statements had been completed.
The report noted, however, that investigators were still awaiting the formal statement of the complainant’s representative and specimen signatures from the Office of the Chief of Staff for forensic comparison, indicating that the investigation remains ongoing.
Suspect calls for independent probe
Meanwhile, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to establish an independent multi-stakeholder panel to investigate the alleged N1.3 billion budget insertion in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
In an open letter dated 13 July 2026, Adeyemi commended the President for directing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the allegations, describing the decision as “a vital first step”.
However, he argued that the existing investigative framework could undermine public confidence in the outcome and called for a broader, independent inquiry.
“I write to you not as a fugitive evading accountability, but as a Nigerian citizen who maintains an unwavering belief in equity, justice, and the rule of law,” he said.
Adeyemi argued that because the allegations involve institutions within the executive branch, an investigation conducted solely by agencies under the same administration could face questions over its impartiality.
He also claimed that concerns for his personal safety had prevented him from surrendering to authorities, alleging that he had received credible intelligence suggesting his life would be at risk if he appeared in an unmonitored environment.
According to Adeyemi, those concerns were reinforced by the reported death of Dolapo Tanimola, whom he described as a key intermediary in the matter.
He questioned official accounts that Tanimola died in a fire at Kachi Hotel in Utako, Abuja, claiming there had been no independent public verification of the incident.
Adeyemi further alleged that the hotel was later demolished by unidentified armed men, destroying potential evidence connected to the investigation.
The allegations contained in the letter have not been independently verified, and the relevant authorities had not publicly responded to the specific claims at the time of publication.
Adeyemi urged the President to establish an independent panel comprising representatives of civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), independent media organisations, international financial institutions, human rights groups and diplomatic missions, with the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) serving as technical partners.
He specifically proposed the inclusion of organisations such as Amnesty International and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), alongside representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, ECOWAS, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Adeyemi said he was prepared to provide documentary evidence and cooperate fully with investigators once such a panel had been constituted.
“The moment this independent, multi-stakeholder panel is constituted, I will immediately step forward to present comprehensive documentation and verifiable evidence,” he said.
He argued that expanding the investigation beyond conventional government agencies would strengthen public confidence and demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to accountability and transparent governance.
The Presidency had not issued an official response to the requests contained in the open letter at the time of publication. The ICPC’s investigation into the alleged budget insertion is continuing.
