Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew became one of Nigeria's most talked-about figures in 2026 after allegations emerged that he spent over a year running a completely fictitious government agency—complete with federal office space, Central Bank accounts, and diplomatic meetings. Prosecutors have charged Adeniyi Adeyemi with eight counts of forgery and impersonation for allegedly operating a fictitious government agency, the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC). He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and insists his appointment was legitimate.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, 38, is the alleged self-styled Director-General of the PFIPC—a body the Nigerian Presidency insists never legally existed.
- The controversy intensified after the 2026 national budget included a ₦1.3 billion allocation linked to the disputed agency.
- Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State in July after the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
- The ICPC has uncovered two more fake agencies linked to the fictitious PFIPC and recommended prosecuting its alleged promoter.
- The ICPC's no-fly application hearing was adjourned to 10 November 2026, after no legal representative appeared when the matter was called.
Profile summary
Field | Details |
Full name | Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew |
Age | 38 |
Origin | Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria |
Alleged role | Self-styled Director-General, PFIPC |
Education | Anglican Grammar School, Igbara-Oke; LAUTECH (until 2011); claims a Master's from the University of Western Ontario, Canada (unverified) |
Charges | Eight counts of forgery, fraud, and impersonation |
Plea | Not guilty |
Current status | Remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja |
Who is Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew?
Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew is from Ogbomoso, Oyo State. He attended Anglican Grammar School in Igbara-Oke, then Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) until 2011. He claims a Master’s degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, though no one has independently verified his educational credentials.
He calls himself "Prince," while people who knew him from LAUTECH called him "Emperor." No documented royal lineage exists for either title.
An earlier history of self-promotion
The PFIPC scandal was not Adeyemi's first brush with controversy. In 2016, he presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, an alleged UN affiliate supposedly elected in New Delhi—a claim the United Nations itself appeared never to have heard of when asked.
He also charged people $600 per person to register for a World Economic Youth Summit 2017 and claimed the real World Youth Organisation's CEO personally organised and attended his inauguration in Nigeria.
In 2023, Adeyemi was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Protocol to Governor Adeleke of Osun State, with a specific role handling visa and travel documents. He was fired within four to five months.
Source: Original
What did he actually do? The PFIPC scheme explained
How the fake agency operated
For over a year, Adeyemi ran what Nigeria's Presidency now describes as an entirely fictitious government agency, complete with a federal office, Central Bank accounts, diplomatic meetings, and hundreds of purported staff, before the scheme unravelled. He presented himself as Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), also styled as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council — an agency the Presidency insists never legally existed.
According to the Presidency, he secured office space at the Federal Secretariat Complex Phase III in Abuja, and operated there for well over a year, holding meetings with both foreign diplomats and Nigerian officials while presenting himself as a legitimate federal appointee.
Prince Matthew not only passed himself off as a legitimate government official but also hosted meetings with foreigners and Nigerians, and even requested a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the US embassy to facilitate visas for some of their staff.
The ₦1.3 billion budget insertion
One of the case's most striking elements is the apparent inclusion of the PFIPC in Nigeria's national budget. Documentation processed by the Budget Office of the Federation and the National Assembly eventually included a ₦1.302 billion allocation for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act before the President signed it into law.
Adeyemi also argued that the 2026 Appropriation Act referenced both the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, questioning the government's position that the organisations never officially existed.
The ₦400 million appointment claim
In a remarkable interview on Channels Television's Politics Today, Adeyemi made a stunning disclosure about how he claims to have secured his role:
I borrowed this money. In fact, those that I borrowed this N400 million from have reported to the EFCC. I borrowed this money to pay for this appointment.
He maintained his allegation that he paid ₦400 million through a proxy to Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, to secure his appointment as Director-General of the disputed council. The controversy also involved allegations that Gbajabiamila demanded an additional ₦200 million. The Chief of Staff and the Presidency have denied all such claims.
On allegations about the ₦400 million, Adeyemi claimed he received the money in United States dollars through his late associate, Dolapo Tanimola. Asked the denomination of the money, he replied, "Dollars." Asked who received it, he answered, "Dolapo."
One of the persons allegedly connected to the matter, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, was reportedly killed in a fire at a hotel in Abuja.
What the Presidency said
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga went considerably further, alleging that Adeyemi forged appointment letters and official documents, falsely presented himself as a presidential appointee, and fraudulently sought diplomatic paperwork from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On 5 November 2025, the Chief of Staff responded to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, flatly denying Adeniyi Adeyemi and his spurious agency, stating that "Prince Adeniyi Matthew, Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, is unknown to any office."
Adeyemi's defence
Adeyemi's legal defence team rejected allegations that he was the sole architect of the controversy, arguing that multiple federal institutions officially recognised and interacted with the council long before the current investigations. As reported by Sahara Reporters, Adeyemi's legal team stated:
If the SGF, the Accountant-General, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Head of Service, the Budget Office, the EFCC, the National Assembly, and the heads of Nigeria's primary security architecture all verified, processed, funded, and officially interacted with this agency over an extended period — how can a single citizen be held uniquely responsible?
In an open letter to President Tinubu, Adeyemi said he was ready to submit documentary evidence and cooperate fully with investigators if an independent panel was established.
Latest news and court updates
The case has moved rapidly since mid-2026. Here is a summary of key developments:
- Initial Federal Charges Struck Out: Justice Mohammed Umar formally struck out the initial eight-count criminal charge filed against Adeyemi at the Federal High Court in Abuja after the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), applied for it.
- Fresh Charges Filed at the FCT High Court: After the court dismissed the initial suit, the Federal Government refiled charges against Adeyemi and moved the prosecution to the FCT High Court for a fresh arraignment.
- Arrest and Custody Context: Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State following a bench warrant issued by the court due to initial evasion. He was later remanded to the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja as legal teams contested the case's parameters.
- ICPC Findings: Following directives from President Bola Tinubu, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) concluded its probe, finding that Adeyemi had no legitimate government mandate and that the appointment paperwork and foundational gazettes used to run the bogus council were entirely fabricated.
The broader PFIPC case remains under investigation and in court. Allegations against Adeyemi have not been established as criminal liability unless and until the judicial process determines them.
What does this case reveal about Nigeria's institutions?
The case has exposed gaps in the checks governing Nigeria's public institutions. Adeyemi's lawyers have pointed out that the PFIPC received recognition from the Central Bank, the Budget Office, and the National Assembly — raising uncomfortable questions about systemic oversight failures that go well beyond one individual.
In 2025, officials from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council wrote to the Presidency to complain about Adeyemi's activities, noting that his agency appeared to function at "cross-purposes" with it — a complaint that reportedly triggered the unravelling of the scheme.
The Senate earlier declined to immediately investigate the inclusion of the alleged PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act, opting instead to await the outcome of the anti-graft agency's probe. The President directed the ICPC to investigate not only Adeyemi's activities but also those of any collaborators and the circumstances that may have enabled the alleged fake agency to appear legitimate.
FAQs
- Who is Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew? Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew became one of Nigeria's most talked-about figures 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.
- What is the PFIPC? 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). Nigeria's Presidency insists it never legally existed.
- What charges does Adeyemi face? Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi has been arraigned in Abuja on eight counts of forgery, fraud, and impersonation.
- How did the PFIPC get into the national budget? Adeyemi himself claimed he did not know the agency had been included in the budget until after the fact: "I didn't even know until they said it was inside the budget. I had already left the office. Where would I still pursue the budget when I was already facing court?"
- What did Adeyemi claim about the ₦400 million? Adeyemi said he borrowed ₦400 million to process his appointment as head of the organisation. He alleged the funds were passed through an intermediary.
- What did the ICPC uncover? Beyond the PFIPC probe ordered by President Tinubu, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered two additional fake agencies allegedly linked to Adeyemi and recommended his prosecution.
- What is the current status of the case? Adeyemi denied all eight charges. His lawyer cited ill health to support a bail application. The court fixed dates for the bail application hearing and trial, and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
- Has Adeyemi been convicted? No. He pleaded not guilty, and the allegations remain unproven in court. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew's alleged role in the PFIPC controversy has raised serious questions about oversight and accountability within Nigeria's public institutions. With disputed appointment documents, a controversial ₦1.3 billion budget allocation and allegations involving ₦400 million, the case has attracted national attention. However, Adeyemi has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations remain subject to the judicial process.
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Source: Legit.ng