The Presidency has called on the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to identify and prosecute individuals alleged to have collaborated with Prince Matthew Adeniyi in operating a fictitious government agency under what has become known as the PFIPC scam investigation. Presidential officials alleged that Adeniyi did not act alone, insisting that internal collaborators within public institutions enabled the activities linked to the alleged fraudulent operation.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, made the position known in a post on his X account, where he urged investigators to dismantle what he described as a criminal network operating within government institutions.
According to Ajayi, security agencies have been tasked with determining how Adeniyi allegedly succeeded in forging presidential appointment letters, operating numerous bank accounts in the names of fictitious government agencies, hosting foreign diplomats and opening an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria while presenting himself as Director-General of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Ajayi stated: “What is not in doubt is that internal collaborators enabled Adeniyi to get this far. That is precisely what investigators from the DSS, the Police and the EFCC must now unravel.”
He added: “the criminal network within the affected institutions must be dismantled and everyone found to have played a role should be arrested and prosecuted.”
Ajayi described Adeniyi as an “irredeemable con artist,” alleging that he deliberately introduced corruption allegations against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to divert attention from the criminal allegations against him.
According to the presidential aide, corruption allegations against public officials often generate widespread public attention, making it easier for suspects to distract from ongoing investigations. He argued that the PFIPC scam investigation should focus on uncovering those who allegedly facilitated the fraudulent activities rather than allowing public debate to shift away from the criminal allegations.
Responding to concerns over how the alleged scheme operated for an extended period, Ajayi maintained that existing government institutions eventually detected the irregularities and initiated action.
According to him, officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs first identified inconsistencies surrounding the activities of the purported agency before reporting the matter to relevant authorities. He argued that the development demonstrated that institutional safeguards were functioning despite the scale of the alleged fraud.
The controversy follows a public disclaimer issued on June 11, 2026, by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, informing the public, foreign missions, financial institutions and international organisations that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council had no legal status and that no appointments had been made under its name. Subsequently, on July 1, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that Adeniyi had been standing trial before the Federal High Court, Abuja, since November 27, 2025, on an eight-count criminal charge.
According to Onanuga, investigators alleged that Adeniyi maintained 34 bank accounts in the names of fictitious government agencies and fraudulently secured a Central Bank of Nigeria account after allegedly deceiving the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. He also stated that a key witness accused of procuring the forged appointment letter died in a hotel fire five days before Adeniyi’s arrest on October 27, 2025.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has challenged the Presidency’s position, arguing that it lacks constitutional authority to clear any individual connected with the allegations. Falana called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct an independent investigation involving both Gbajabiamila and Adeniyi. He also requested explanations regarding allegations that ₦24 billion was budgeted for the non-existent agency and how it allegedly succeeded in opening a Central Bank account.
The PFIPC scam investigation remains before the courts, with Adeniyi scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026. According to available court records, he will appear alongside two alleged accomplices who remain at large, while security agencies continue investigations into the broader network of individuals allegedly connected to the case.
