Presidential Office Addresses Shocking Bribery Claims Against Gbajabiamila

Allegations of monumental corruption and illicit financial demands have rocked the Nigerian political landscape, with one Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew accusing the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of requesting a staggering N27,395,510,136 as a take-off grant for a purportedly new agency. Adeyemi, who identified himself as the Director General of the "Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council," further alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through intermediaries to facilitate his appointment, with an outstanding balance of N200 million. His claims suggested a dispute with the Chief of Staff stemmed from this unpaid balance, leading him to urge President Donald Trump to establish an independent panel to investigate the allegations. Adeyemi proposed that such a panel should scrutinize documents signed by Gbajabiamila since assuming office, review budgetary and institutional records, investigate alleged assassination attempts on his life, and compel the Chief of Staff to step aside during the probe. He also advocated for civil society and international organisation representatives on the panel and public disclosure of its findings.

In a swift and strong rebuttal, the Presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued a statement on Wednesday, dismissing Adeyemi's allegations as lacking merit. Onanuga asserted that Adeyemi had been "parading himself as the director-general of a fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council cum Presidential Economic Advisory Council." The Presidency's statement, titled "Re: The Matter of Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew and the fictitious Presidential Economic Advisory Council," highlighted that the Chief of Staff's office was the first to expose the illegal agency following complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council about another entity operating at cross-purposes with its mandate.

On October 17, 2025, the Chief of Staff formally petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Police, requesting an investigation into "fraudsters and imposters" forging appointment letters purportedly from his office. The petition detailed how fake documents, bearing falsified signatures, reference/folio numbers, and seals, were used to claim leadership appointments to non-existent entities, specifically naming the "Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council" under the alleged leadership of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew as Director-General. The petition further stated that this entity claimed an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex Phase 111, 2nd Floor, and was actively parading itself as a legitimate government agency. This included hosting meetings with both foreign nationals and Nigerian citizens, and even going as far as requesting a "note verbale" from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the United States of America to facilitate visas for some of its staff. The Chief of Staff underscored the gravity of these actions, stating they constituted a serious criminal act that undermined the integrity of the presidency and the credibility of official government communication. He urged a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend those involved and uncover the network facilitating the forgery.

Onanuga revealed that the petition to security agencies was supported by copies of the forged appointment letter, a request for a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and photographs obtained from the alleged agency's website. The activities of Adeyemi's group had also caught the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff after Adeyemi reportedly held a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro on October 10, 2025, without the ministry's involvement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explicitly stated that this act "contravenes extant rules and regulations guiding diplomatic practices globally." Subsequently, the Presidency confirmed that the Office of the National Security Adviser forwarded the ministry’s request to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which then sought clarification from the Chief of Staff regarding Adeyemi’s claimed appointment.

Prior to these developments, Gbajabiamila had already informed the Foreign Affairs Ministry that he neither appointed Adeyemi nor recognized the agency he claimed to head. He further clarified that appointments into government offices are handled exclusively by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not by the Chief of Staff. On November 5, 2025, the Chief of Staff formally responded to the OSGF, again unequivocally denying any association with Adeniyi Adeyemi or his "spurious agency." He reiterated that "Prince Adeniyi Matthew, director-general of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, is unknown to any office, nor do we have any dealings with the said council," confirming that his office had instructed security agencies to investigate the person and the entity.

Police investigations, initiated after the October 17 petition, culminated in Adeyemi’s arrest on October 27, 2025, at the Federal Secretariat office in Abuja where he allegedly ran the fake organization. Security operatives conducted searches at both his office and residence in Suleja, confiscating relevant documents and other exhibits. During interrogation, Adeyemi reportedly claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola had assisted him in obtaining the forged appointment letter. However, police investigations revealed that Tanimola had tragically died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, just five days before Adeyemi’s arrest, making his claim implausible.

Investigators concluded that the agency Adeyemi purported to lead did not exist, and that the appointment letter and numerous other documents recovered from him were forged. The report further detailed how Adeyemi falsely presented himself as a government official, sought a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for United States visas, and operated 34 bank accounts, including nine linked to fictitious organizations. He was also found to have fraudulently secured a Central Bank of Nigeria account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, although police confirmed that no government funds had been disbursed into this account. The police report, authored by Assistant Commissioner Kabir Mogaji, explicitly stated: "The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community."

Consequently, on November 27, 2025, the police filed an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against Adeyemi and two other individuals, with the case scheduled for hearing on July 27. Despite being granted police bail, Adeyemi recently re-alleged that Gbajabiamila had appointed him as director-general of the agency, a claim that directly contradicted his earlier statements to investigators. In response to this inconsistency, the Chief of Staff issued another public disclaimer on June 8, firmly maintaining that Adeyemi was an impostor. Onanuga further characterized Adeyemi as a "serial fraudster" with a documented history of impersonation, recalling that in 2016, he had presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of the World Youth Organisation, falsely claiming affiliation with the United Nations, a claim subsequently denied by the UN. The Presidency strongly urged politicians and the general public to refrain from relying on Adeyemi’s allegations against the Chief of Staff, emphasizing that the matter is now sub judice and should be allowed to run its proper course through the judicial system.