Gbajabiamila/Adeyemi Scandal: Controversial ‘DG’ of govt-disowned agency speaks from hiding

Mr Adeyemi, who spoke to this newspaper on Thursday, denied wrongdoing and said the government's actions amounted to a "defence mechanism" against him.

Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of forging government appointment letters and parading himself as Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), has spoken to PREMIUM TIMES from hiding, insisting the presidency is only trying to silence him.

Mr Adeyemi, who spoke to this newspaper on Thursday, denied wrongdoing and said the government’s actions amounted to 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 state his side of the story, Mr Adeyemi said he was not in Abuja. He also declined to share his appointment letter or any documentary evidence of his engagement by the government, and to respond to further questions, saying his lawyers had advised him against speaking 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 under threat, saying this had forced him underground.

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

Pressed on his exact whereabouts and whether he had fled the country, he said he could not disclose the 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, and of falsely presenting himself as Director-General of the PFIPC and PEAC, agencies it says do not exist.

In a statement on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said police had charged Mr Adeyemi and two other defendants with eight counts at the Federal High Court. He said the case, filed on 27 November 2025, is scheduled for a hearing on 27 July.

Mr Onanuga said concerns about the fake agency first surfaced after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) complained that another body appeared to be performing functions similar to theirs.

He said the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, petitioned the State Security Service (SSS, also called DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force on 17 October 2025, requesting an investigation into Mr Adeyemi and his associates.

In the petition, Mr Gbajabiamila alleged that appointment letters purportedly issued from his office to the individuals bore falsified signatures, seals and reference numbers, which were used to claim appointments into non-existent government entities.

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

He said the petition was accompanied by copies of the alleged forged appointment letter, visa-related correspondence, and photographs obtained from the group’s website.

The presidency further disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had separately raised concerns after Mr Adeyemi convened a meeting with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja on 10 October 2025, without notifying the ministry.

The ministry subsequently sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff’s office, describing the meeting as inconsistent with established diplomatic procedure. The National Security Adviser’s office later referred the matter to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who also sought clarification from the Chief of Staff.

The presidency said Mr Gbajabiamila denied any knowledge of Mr Adeyemi or the purported council, maintaining that his office neither created such an agency nor issued any appointment letter.

Mr Onanuga said police arrested Mr Adeyemi on 27 October 2025 at the Abuja office from which he allegedly operated. Investigators subsequently searched his office and residence in Suleja, recovering documents they described as forged government records.

He said Mr Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Tanimola had assisted him in procuring the appointment letter. However, police said their findings showed Mr Tanimola had died in a hotel fire days before Mr Adeyemi’s arrest, the presidency said.

According to the statement, police investigations established that the agency was fictitious, and that Mr Adeyemi forged appointment documents, falsely represented himself as a government official, and sought diplomatic support under false pretences.

Mr Onanuga added that investigators uncovered 34 bank accounts linked to Mr Adeyemi, including several opened in the names of entities such as the “FCT Investment Promotion Agency” and other purported government organisations.

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

Last month, Mr Gbajabiamila issued a statement disclaiming Mr Adeyemi and the agency he claimed to head, saying no such office existed 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 organisations reported that Mr Adeyemi accused Mr Gbajabiamila of requesting N400 million through a proxy. Mr Onanuga, however, said Mr Adeyemi made the claims after he was granted police bail.