Who is Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew? Everything we know about the man who allegedly created a fake government agency and secured a ₦1.3bn budget allocation

• Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew is facing criminal charges over allegations that he created a fake government agency and forged official documents, claims he has denied.

• The controversy intensified after a ₦1.3bn allocation linked to the disputed agency appeared in the 2026 national budget.

• Adeyemi insists his appointment was genuine and says the courts will eventually clear his name.

• The case remains before the Federal High Court, with the allegations yet to be determined by the court.

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew has become one of the most talked-about figures in Nigeria after finding himself at the centre of an extraordinary controversy involving an alleged fake government agency, a ₦1.3 billion budget allocation and criminal charges of forgery and impersonation.

The case has sparked widespread debate, not only because of the allegations against him but also because budget documents show that an entity at the centre of the controversy appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act, raising questions about how it got there.

While the Presidency insists the agency never existed, Adeyemi has maintained that he was lawfully appointed and says he will clear his name in court. Here's everything known about the case so far.

The controversy centres on an organisation known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which was also referred to in some documents as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

For months, Adeyemi publicly presented himself as the Director-General of the council. He attended official meetings, received foreign delegations, interacted with heads of government agencies and shared photographs of engagements with senior public officials and diplomats. The council also maintained an active public profile, presenting itself as a government-backed body established to attract foreign investment into Nigeria. 

The matter took a dramatic turn after the Presidency declared that the PFIPC was never created by the Federal Government.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency alleged that Adeyemi forged an appointment letter purportedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and falsely presented himself as the head of a non-existent agency. 

According to the Presidency, the matter first came to light after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised concerns over the activities of the purported agency. Gbajabiamila subsequently petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police, alleging that forged presidential documents were being used to impersonate government officials and operate a fictitious institution. 

Police investigations led to Adeyemi's arrest on October 27, 2025, at an office located within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja.

RELATED: NDC tells Tinubu to sack Femi Gbajabiamila over explosive PFIPC scandal claims

According to the Presidency, investigators recovered forged appointment letters, official-looking government documents, fake letterheads and other materials during searches of his office and residence. Authorities also alleged that he operated 34 bank accounts, including nine said to have been opened in the names of non-existent government entities. The Presidency further alleged that he succeeded in opening an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria after presenting forged documents to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although it maintained that no government funds were paid into the account. 

Following the investigation, the Nigeria Police filed an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against Adeyemi and two other defendants. The charges include conspiracy, forgery, impersonation, false personation and operating what prosecutors describe as a fictitious government agency. The case is scheduled to continue on July 27, 2026. 

The controversy deepened after it emerged that an entity bearing the name Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, or a similar variation, appeared in the signed 2026 Appropriation Act with a total allocation of ₦1,302,978,784.

Budget documents indicate the allocation comprised approximately ₦802.98 million for personnel costs, ₦200 millionfor overhead and ₦300 million for capital expenditure. The discovery prompted public scrutiny, with many asking how an agency the Presidency now describes as fictitious could have made its way into the national budget after passing through multiple stages of approval. While acknowledging the budget entry, the Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC was never lawfully established. 

Adeyemi, however, has consistently denied the allegations.

In interviews with Channels Television and other media outlets, he insisted that his appointment was genuine and said he possesses a valid appointment letter, though he declined to make it public because the matter is before the court.

"I am not a criminal. Let the court of competent jurisdiction vindicate me," he said.

Questioning the Presidency's position, he argued that he could not have openly met ministers, heads of government agencies and foreign diplomats if the council did not exist.

"Let us assume the agency does not exist. Would I have the temerity, the audacity, to be going all over the country meeting the heads of ministries, departments and agencies?" he asked. 

Adeyemi has also levelled serious allegations against Femi Gbajabiamila, claiming the Chief of Staff demanded ₦27.4 billion, representing 48 per cent of the agency's proposed take-off grant, and that ₦400 million was paid through a proxy to facilitate his appointment, with another ₦200 million allegedly outstanding.

The Presidency has strongly denied those allegations, describing them as false and an attempt to divert attention from the criminal case. 

In a separate interview with Premium Times, Adeyemi claimed he had gone into hiding because he feared for his safety.

"They are now after my life. I have gone into hiding. I'm underground," he said, while declining to disclose his location. That claim has not been independently verified, and the Presidency has not acknowledged any threat against him. 

This is not the first time Adeyemi has attracted public attention. In 2016, he was reported to have emerged as President-General of the World Youth Organisation, which he claimed was affiliated with the United Nations. The UN was later reported to have denied any affiliation with the organisation. The Presidency has cited the episode as part of what it describes as a pattern of false representation, although Adeyemi has not publicly accepted that characterisation. 

RELATED: INEC introduces downloadable PVCs — 7 important things Nigerians should know

Adeyemi has also publicly stated that he attended Anglican Grammar School, Igbara-Oke, studied at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and later obtained a master's degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. However, those educational claims have not been independently verified by public authorities. 

For now, the case remains before the Federal High Court, where prosecutors will seek to prove the allegations against Adeyemi, while he maintains that he is the legitimate head of the council and that the evidence will ultimately vindicate him. Until the court delivers its judgment, the allegations against him remain unproven.