Head of fake government agency arrested in Nigeria after weeks on the run
via GhanaWeb5 min read
Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who claimed to be the director general of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council PFIPC, has been arrested in Osun State, Nigeria. His arrest follows a warrant issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja after he failed to appear for charges of forgery and impersonation. The case emerged after President Bola Tinubu ordered a corruption investigation into the fictitious agency. Police confirmed the involvement of their Force Intelligence Department and Intelligence Response Team in the arrest. The presidency stated that an official-looking letter establishing the agency was fake, and forensic analysis confirmed the forgery of the signature of the president's chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on the appointment letter. Adeyemi had previously maintained his innocence in media interviews and cited safety fears for his absence in court. Court documents indicate Adeyemi and two others are accused of using forged documents to establish and operate the council, open bank accounts, and seek official recognition for the non-existent agency. Although the PFIPC had secured office space and appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of 1.3 billion naira, the Accountant-General's Office confirmed it never operated an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria or received public funds.
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