Boss of Nigeria’s Fictitious Agency Arrested After Weeks in Hiding

Sun Sep 06 2026 05:07:04 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The self‑named director of a fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council is nabbed in Osun after evading authorities for months.

A Nigerian man who positioned himself as the Director General of a shadowy ‘Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council’ was arrested in the south‑western state of Osun. Policing officials, including the Force Intelligence Department, chased him after a federal court issued a warrant for his appearance at a forgery hearing. The incident follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the agency was a fraud, spotlighting alleged forged signatures and misappropriated public funds. Calls for an independent inquiry are rising from civil society, opposition leaders, and lawyers. The suspect claims innocence and cites security fears as a reason for missing the court date. The case underscores systemic corruption risks around the presidential administration.

A Nigerian man who called himself the director‑general of the so‑called Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) was arrested in the state of Osun after weeks evading authorities.

The fugitive, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, could not appear for a forgery and impersonation hearing in Abuja – where a federal court issued a warrant on Tuesday – and was detained by the Force Intelligence Department and its Intelligence Response Team.

The PFIPC’s alleged existence was unveiled last week when President Bola Tinubu ordered a corruption probe. The presidency said the agency’s appointment letter was forged, with a copied signature of the president’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Until now, Adeyemi maintained that the council was established in 2024 to lure foreign investment, though no concrete deals were found. Investigations reveal the agency had seats at the Federal Secretariat, logged a Central Bank account, and even appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a 1.3 bn naira budget, yet the Accountant–General’s Office found no real operations or public‑fund receipts.

The scandal has prompted calls from civil society groups, opposition politicians and senior lawyers for an independent inquiry. Adeyemi, who said his life was in danger, left an open letter to President Tinubu expressing safety concerns but also pledged to appear in court to clear his name.

The arrest marks the latest high‑profile setback for Nigeria’s anti‑corruption agenda, spotlighting the blurred lines between official bodies and sham entities that hustle to siphon public funds.