Five government officials have come under police investigation over their alleged roles in helping a fraud suspect infiltrate government structures with a fictitious agency and secure a series of official approvals, including a N1.3 billion budget allocation.
The officials, drawn from the offices of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Budget Office, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, were questioned during a police probe into the activities of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who allegedly posed as the Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
According to the Nigeria Police Force investigation report of July 24, 2026, the officials allegedly played key roles in processing requests from the fictitious agency without conducting adequate due diligence.
The police said their actions allegedly enabled the fake agency to secure an Administrative Code, office space at the Federal Secretariat, official vehicles and approval to recruit 300 workers.
The organisation also allegedly obtained approval for the secondment of government officials, opened two foreign-currency accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and secured provisional self-accounting status.
But the biggest shock was its alleged inclusion in the 2026 national budget with N1.3 billion.
The police said the fake agency’s requests were processed after Adeyemi allegedly smuggled forged documents into government offices.
Investigators said the documents included a purported appointment letter allegedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and a purported law establishing the agency.
Forensic examination, however, reportedly showed that the signature on the appointment letter did not belong to Gbajabiamila.
A former Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, also reportedly denied signing a document allegedly establishing the fictitious agency.
Police investigators further discovered that a purported request for an Administrative Code allegedly signed by an official of the State House did not originate from the Presidency.
According to the report, the purported signatory and the department he was said to head did not exist in the State House organogram.
N400M SPLASH
Separately, the investigation uncovered how Adeyemi allegedly obtained and spent N400 million after using the fake agency to lure a businessman into paying money for a supposed government contract.
Police analysis showed that N380 million was transferred in four tranches into an account belonging to Adeyemi’s company by Divine Dopacy Nigeria Ltd, owned by businessman Gbenga Oyekunle Collins.
The businessman was allegedly led to believe that Adeyemi could facilitate a N2.8 billion contract for the renovation of an official residence allegedly allocated to his office by the EFCC.
Another N20 million was traced to Adeyemi’s confectionery business account.
Investigators said Adeyemi spent the money on personal vehicles, transfers to relatives, personal expenses and donations.
This contradicted his alleged claim that he converted the N400 million into dollars and handed it over to Gbajabiamila through the late Babatunde Dolapo Tanimola.
Police said there was no evidence that the money was converted to dollars or delivered to the President’s Chief of Staff.
Adeyemi also allegedly obtained a N100 million loan from a microfinance bank and collected unspecified amounts from members of the public under the guise of securing diplomatic passports, visas and other official documents.
5 OFFICIALS FACE SCRUTINY
The police said their investigation identified five government officials whose actions allegedly helped the fictitious agency secure government recognition and privileges.
They include two directors in the offices of the Accountant-General of the Federation and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, a Special Assistant in the Budget Office, an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, and a seconded staff member from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The police said the officials were questioned as part of the investigation and recommended that their roles be subjected to further legal consideration.
The Force has forwarded an interim report to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and requested that the existing charges against Adeyemi be amended to reflect the new findings.
Police investigators are also seeking answers from the National Assembly over how the fictitious agency was able to defend its budget and secure the passage of N1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The development has now widened the scandal from the alleged activities of one impostor to a bigger question: How did a fake agency get so deep into the Federal Government system without officials detecting the fraud?
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