Nigerian authorities have arrested Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the alleged head of a fictitious government agency that falsely claimed to operate from the Office of the President, following weeks of evading law enforcement. Matthew, who described himself as the Director-General of the so-called Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), was apprehended in Osun State in southwestern Nigeria after a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant for his arrest. The court ordered his arrest on Tuesday after he failed to appear to answer charges of forgery, impersonation and related offences. Prosecutors allege that Matthew fraudulently presented himself as the head of a non-existent presidential agency, misleading individuals and institutions by claiming official government authority.
The case has attracted nationwide attention after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered a full investigation into the alleged fake agency as part of his administration’s anti-corruption efforts. Authorities are also investigating whether the suspect used the fictitious office to deceive investors, government officials or members of the public. The Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council is not recognized as an official Nigerian government institution, and investigators are working to determine the extent of the alleged fraud and whether additional suspects were involved. Matthew is expected to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja to face the charges as investigations continue.
