The Presidency has accused Adeniyi Adeyemi of forging an appointment letter and falsely presenting himself as a presidential appointee, insisting that the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council he claimed to head does not exist.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following recent claims by Adeyemi that the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, demanded a N400 million bribe.
According to Onanuga, the Office of the Chief of Staff first became aware of the alleged fraudulent activities in October 2025 after complaints that the purported council was operating alongside the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), performing functions similar to those of the commission.
He said Gbajabiamila subsequently petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), alleging that forged appointment letters bearing his signature, official seal and reference numbers were being used to legitimise the activities of the fictitious agency.
“The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office,” the petition stated.
Onanuga maintained that Gbajabiamila could not have appointed Adeyemi because the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was never created by the Federal Government.
He further explained that appointments into federal government offices are processed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), not the Office of the Chief of Staff.
According to the Presidency, police operatives arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025, during an investigation into the alleged forgery.
Searches conducted at his office and residence reportedly led to the recovery of forged appointment letters and other incriminating documents.
Onanuga said investigators concluded that Adeyemi forged his appointment letter, falsely presented himself as a government official and sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the issuance of United States visas for himself and members of the purported council.
He also alleged that investigations revealed Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of non-existent government agencies.
The Presidency further claimed that Adeyemi used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after allegedly misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
However, Onanuga noted that investigators found no evidence that public funds had been deposited into the account.
The presidential spokesman disclosed that the Nigeria Police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other defendants before the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27, 2025.
The case is scheduled to resume on July 27.
Onanuga also argued that Adeyemi’s recent claim that Gbajabiamila personally appointed him as Director-General of the purported council contradicts the statement he allegedly made to investigators during police interrogation.
He urged politicians and members of the public to avoid drawing conclusions based on Adeyemi’s allegations while the matter remains before the court.
“Politicians and members of the public who are weaponising Adeyemi’s claim against the Chief of Staff should refrain from swallowing his narrative hook, line and sinker,” Onanuga said.
“They are advised to await the trial of Adeyemi and his accomplices, as well as the court’s judgement, as comments made today are sub judice.”
