Adeyemi Speaks Out After Being Accused of Fraud in Government

Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of faking government appointment letters and claiming to be Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), has spoken to PREMIUM TIMES from a hidden location. He insists that the presidency is trying to silence him.

Mr Adeyemi spoke to this newspaper on Thursday, denying any wrongdoing. He described the government’s actions as a “defence mechanism” against him.

“You know the government we have. They are just playing a defence mechanism to shut me up. My organisation was set up in 2024,” he said.

When asked to meet in person to share his side of the story, Mr Adeyemi said he was not in Abuja. He also refused to show his appointment letter or any documents proving his government engagement. He said his lawyers advised him not to speak to journalists for now.

“I just decided to speak to you out of respect,” he said. “My lawyers are working on something. Whatever they say, I will let you know.”

Mr Adeyemi claimed his life was in danger, forcing him to go underground.

“They are now after my life. I have gone into hiding. I’m underground,” he said.

When pressed on his exact location and whether he had left the country, he said he could not give that information.

“I will not be able to disclose any information now. I don’t consider myself safe,” Mr Adeyemi told PREMIUM TIMES.

Allegations against Mr Adeyemi

The presidency has accused Mr Adeyemi of forging government appointment letters and other documents. They say he falsely presented himself as Director-General of the PFIPC and PEAC, which they claim do not exist.

On Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that police charged Mr Adeyemi and two others with eight counts at the Federal High Court. The case, filed on 27 November 2025, is set for a hearing on 27 July.

Mr Onanuga said concerns about the fake agency emerged after officials from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) reported that another group seemed to be doing their work.

He mentioned that the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, asked the State Security Service (SSS), also known as DSS, and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate Mr Adeyemi and his associates on 17 October 2025.

In the petition, Mr Gbajabiamila claimed that appointment letters allegedly issued from his office had fake signatures, seals, and reference numbers used to claim jobs in non-existent government agencies.

According to Mr Onanuga, Mr Adeyemi and his associates operated from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja. They held meetings with Nigerian and foreign officials and sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for US visas for supposed staff members.

He added that the petition included copies of the alleged forged appointment letters, visa-related correspondence, and pictures from the group’s website.

The presidency also revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised concerns after Mr Adeyemi held a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja on 10 October 2025 without informing the ministry.

The ministry sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff’s office, saying the meeting did not follow proper diplomatic procedures. The National Security Adviser’s office later referred the issue to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who also asked the Chief of Staff for more information.

The presidency confirmed that Mr Gbajabiamila denied knowing Mr Adeyemi or the supposed council. He stressed that his office did not create such an agency and did not issue any appointment letters.

Mr Onanuga noted that police arrested Mr Adeyemi on 27 October 2025 at the Abuja office where he allegedly operated. Investigators searched his office and home in Suleja, finding what they called forged government documents.

He said Mr Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Tanimola helped him get the appointment letter. However, police found out that Mr Tanimola died in a hotel fire days before Mr Adeyemi’s arrest.

The police investigation revealed that the agency was fake, and Mr Adeyemi forged appointment documents. He falsely represented himself as a government official and sought diplomatic support under false pretenses.

Mr Onanuga added that investigators discovered 34 bank accounts linked to Mr Adeyemi, including some opened in the names of entities like the “FCT Investment Promotion Agency” and other fake government organizations.

The presidency also claimed that Mr Adeyemi used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. Investigators found that no government funds were paid into that account.

Last month, Mr Gbajabiamila issued a statement disowning Mr Adeyemi and the agency he claimed to lead. He said no such office exists under the current administration.

“The unsuspecting public is hereby advised to note that such an office does not exist under this administration and no appointment has been made in that regard,” he said.

Some media outlets reported that Mr Adeyemi accused Mr Gbajabiamila of asking for N400 million through a proxy. Mr Onanuga, however, said Mr Adeyemi made those claims after he was granted police bail.