Head of fake Nigerian government agency arrested after weeks on the run

Nigerian police have arrested the man behind a fake government agency that operated out of the presidency's office for nearly two years.

Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was detained in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria. He had called himself director general of the "Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council" (PFIPC).

Police made the arrest after a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant on Tuesday. Adeyemi had skipped a hearing on forgery and impersonation charges.

The case has dominated headlines in Nigeria since President Bola Tinubu ordered a corruption probe into the agency last week.

Police said officers from the Force Intelligence Department and Intelligence Response Team carried out the arrest. He is expected to be taken to police headquarters in Abuja for questioning.

A fake agency with real offices

The presidency says the letter creating the PFIPC was forged. Police forensic tests found that the signature of Tinubu's chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on the appointment letter was fake.

Despite this, the agency was far from invisible. It held office space inside Abuja's Federal Secretariat, the complex that houses many government ministries.

It also opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and was listed in Nigeria's 2026 budget with an allocation of 1.3 billion naira, or about $950,000 (£700,000).

The Accountant-General's Office has since said the PFIPC never actually operated a central bank account and never received public funds or salaries.

No deals, no records

Adeyemi had claimed the PFIPC was set up in 2024 to draw foreign investment into Nigeria. No record exists of it completing any deals.

Court documents accuse Adeyemi and two others of using forged documents to set up and run the council, opening bank accounts in its name, and seeking official government recognition for an agency that didn't exist.

"My life is in danger"

Before his arrest, Adeyemi denied wrongdoing in interviews with local media. He said his safety was at risk but promised to appear in court.

He did not show up. His lawyer, Genesis Francis, told the court he could not convince his client to attend, citing fears for his safety. Adeyemi had reportedly written an open letter to Tinubu raising the same concerns.

The scandal has triggered calls for an independent investigation from civil society groups, opposition politicians, and senior lawyers.