A resurfaced video of Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, the man at the centre of the alleged N1.3 billion 'ghost agency' scandal, has gone viral, renewing public attention on the controversy. The video, recorded during a press conference in late June 2026, shows Adeyemi defending his claim to the leadership of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council while challenging the position of the presidency and the office of Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu.
Gbajabiamila and Alleged Fake Agency Face-Off
During the briefing, Adeyemi questioned how an agency described by the presidency as non-existent could appear in official budget documents. According to him: "The national budget does not emerge in isolation. It passes through multiple layers of technical drafting, executive coordination, ministerial inputs, Budget Office review, and finally legislative scrutiny by both chambers of the National Assembly." He argued that the inclusion of the agency in official budget documents raised questions about the integrity of the budget process.
Adeyemi further claimed that the agency maintained several accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He said: "The same acclaimed non-existent agency has a domiciliary account, a pounds sterling account and a Treasury Single Account, all domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria. Is it even possible to open an account with fictitious documents in a commercial bank in Nigeria today, let alone the Central Bank of Nigeria?" He also alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the agency's proposed N27.4 billion take-off grant and referenced an alleged demand for N12.5 billion.
Presidency Denies Allegations
The Nigerian presidency has consistently denied the allegations. The controversy has left Nigerians wondering how a non-existent agency got budgetary allocation, opened an account with the CBN, exchanged several correspondences with the office of the accountant general of the federation, secured office spaces at the federal secretariat, and had at least three senior civil servants deployed to work at the office.
Police Investigation Findings
Nigerian authorities' charges against Adeyemi followed an investigation by the inspector general of police (IGP) monitoring unit, which conducted its investigation and arrests between October 23 and November 13, 2025. The unit forwarded the investigation report to the IGP on November 13, 2025, according to a report cited by Premium Times. According to the police investigation report, Gbajabiamila reported the case, alleging 'forgery and impersonation', to the IGP in a letter dated October 17, 2025. On October 23, 2025, the IGP assigned the IGP monitoring unit to conduct a discreet investigation into the matter.
On October 27, 2025, the police apprehended Adeyemi from the office where he operated at the federal secretariat and obtained a search warrant for the office and his residence in Suleja, Niger state. Part of the police's interim investigation report read: "In his statement, the suspect alleged that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the purported fake appointment letter bearing the title director-general, presidential foreign intervention promotion council." However, the police found that the said Tanimola died on admission at the National Hospital on October 22, 2025, following a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja.
Gbajabiamila to Remain as Chief of Staff
Earlier, President Tinubu played down reports that Gbajabiamila may soon be replaced due to allegations of trading government appointments. President Tinubu stated that he has "100% confidence" in the integrity of his chief of staff. The Nigerian leader passed the vote of confidence on Gbajabiamila during the 4th federal executive council (FEC) meeting of his administration at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja. Tinubu requested that all "campaigns of calumny" against Gbajabiamila "must stop forthwith."
