Nigeria’s Presidency on Wednesday defended Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila over allegations linked to an ongoing forgery and impersonation case involving Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, while human rights lawyer Femi Falana called for an independent investigation into both men.
Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja, including conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. Police accused him of operating a fictitious government agency, forging a presidential appointment letter purportedly signed by Gbajabiamila and maintaining dozens of bank accounts in the names of non-existent government bodies.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Presidency detailed the police investigation and dismissed claims that Gbajabiamila appointed Adeyemi as director-general of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, describing the agency as fictitious.
The statement, signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, said Gbajabiamila petitioned the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force in October 2025 after discovering forged documents bearing his purported signature.
According to the Presidency, Adeyemi was arrested on Oct. 27, 2025, at his office in the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja. Police subsequently filed an eight-count charge against him and two alleged accomplices, identified only as Femi and Anu, who remain at large.
The charges include conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery of presidential appointment letters, forgery of official State House documents, impersonation and the use of forged correspondence to legitimize the activities of the alleged agency.
Police alleged that Adeyemi forged an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by Gbajabiamila and falsely presented himself as director-general of the council.
The Presidency said the case originated after officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission raised concerns about another body performing similar functions. It added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also questioned Adeyemi’s activities after he reportedly hosted foreign diplomats without notifying the ministry.
Investigators alleged that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including several opened in the names of fictitious government agencies, and fraudulently obtained a Central Bank of Nigeria account using forged documents. The Presidency said no government funds were transferred into the account.
Police also said searches of Adeyemi’s office and residence uncovered forged appointment letters, official letterheads and correspondence addressed to government institutions.
The Presidency further alleged that Adeyemi had a history of fraudulent conduct, citing a 2016 incident in which he reportedly claimed to represent a non-existent organization allegedly affiliated with the United Nations.
Onanuga urged politicians and members of the public not to politicize the case, saying the matter should be left to the courts.
Meanwhile, Falana said the Presidency lacked the constitutional authority to exonerate anyone involved in the case and urged anti-corruption agencies to independently investigate the allegations.
“The Presidency is not in a position to clear anybody,” Falana said .“It is the duty of the police and anti-graft agencies to investigate cases of official corruption.”
He also questioned reports that billions of naira had been budgeted for the alleged agency and called for an investigation into how it reportedly obtained a Central Bank account.
Adeyemi has denied wrongdoing and accused Gbajabiamila of making contradictory statements about the existence of the agency. He alleged that the chief of staff demanded money to facilitate his appointment and called on President Tinubu to establish an independent panel to investigate the allegations.
Adeyemi also questioned references to the disputed agencies in the 2026 Appropriation Act and urged investigators to examine official records, budgetary allocations and the circumstances surrounding the death of one of the individuals mentioned in the police investigation.
The Presidency has repeatedly denied that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council exists and said neither the agency nor any appointments made under its name have legal recognition under the Tinubu administration.
Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27.
