The Presidency has called on the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to identify and prosecute those who allegedly collaborated with Prince Matthew Adeniyi in operating the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
In a post on X, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described Adeniyi as an “irredeemable con artist” who allegedly exploited public perceptions about corruption to shield himself from accountability while attempting to implicate the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Ajayi alleged that investigators are working to uncover how Adeniyi was able to forge presidential appointment letters, operate 34 bank accounts in the names of non-existent government agencies, host foreign diplomats, and open a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account while posing as the head of the fake agency.
According to him, officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs first detected irregularities and alerted the appropriate authorities, leading to investigations into the alleged fraud. He maintained that those within government institutions who aided the scheme should be arrested and prosecuted.
The Presidency had earlier issued a disclaimer that the PFIPC was not a recognised government agency and that no appointments had been made under its name.
However, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has insisted that the Presidency cannot absolve anyone connected to the matter, calling on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to independently investigate both Gbajabiamila and Adeniyi. He also demanded explanations over the alleged budgeting of ₦24 billion for the non-existent agency and how it reportedly opened a CBN account.
Adeniyi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026, alongside two alleged accomplices who remain at large.