In Nigeria's government, strict rules are supposed to stop fraud. However, an amazing story has come to light showing how one man used fake letterheads and sheer boldness to create a completely fake government agency, move into the Federal Secretariat, and get the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to open foreign currency accounts for him.
The man at the center of this story is Adeniyi Adeyemi. He set up a fake organization called the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and called himself its Director-General (DG). Documents show that top offices—including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), and the CBN—all believed his letters were real and helped him run his illegal operation.
The Fake Appointment Letter
The whole scam started with a fake appointment letter dated March 8, 2024. The letter claimed that President Bola Tinubu had appointed Adeyemi as the DG of the council starting March 1, 2024.
The letter looked highly official. It was printed on a fake 'State House' letterhead and carried a forged signature of Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President. Armed with this paper, Adeyemi easily fooled government workers. In reality, the Chief of Staff does not sign appointment letters—they are always issued by the Office of the SGF. But nobody noticed this mistake.
By late 2024, Adeyemi asked the OSGF for office space in Abuja. Believing he was a real official, the OSGF processed his request and even asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to find him an office from seized properties. Eventually, Adeyemi moved right into the Second Floor of the main Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja. According to a report by DDM News, his office looked exactly like a real government department, complete with official signs and real civil servants working there.
Getting Control of the Money
After getting an office, Adeyemi went after government finances. In January 2025, he wrote to the OAGF asking for "self-accounting status." This is a special privilege that allows a government agency to manage its own financial records and get money directly from the national treasury.
He told the OAGF that his agency had already been given an official budget code. The OAGF gave him a list of tough conditions he needed to meet first, such as setting up an internal audit team, a secure money room, and strong iron safes. On March 12, 2025, Adeyemi wrote back, claiming his office had met all the requirements. Remarkably, just two weeks later, the OAGF approved his request and gave his fake agency official accounting powers.
Next, Adeyemi targeted the banks. In July 2025, the OAGF asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to open foreign currency accounts for the fake council. By August 13, 2025, the CBN wrote back to confirm it had opened both US Dollar and British Pound accounts for Adeyemi’s fake group.
How the Scam Collapsed
For over a year, Adeyemi's trick worked perfectly. He met with top figures, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede. He even wrote to the Ministry of Lands asking for free land across all 36 states to build "Special Economic Zones."
However, Adeyemi became too confident. On October 10, 2025, he held an official meeting with foreign diplomats without telling the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This alarmed the ministry. On October 16, they wrote to Chief of Staff Gbajabiamila to ask who "Prince Adeyemi" was.
The presidency was shocked. On October 27, Gbajabiamila replied with a clear message: "The PFIPC is fake."
Arrest and Court Case
The Chief of Staff quickly called the police and the State Security Service. Police officers raided the Federal Secretariat and arrested Adeyemi inside his fake office. When they searched his home in Suleja, Niger State, they found piles of fake letterheads, forged signatures, and fake government seals.
To make his agency look real, Adeyemi had claimed it was created by "Executive Order 5 of 2023." But investigators found that Executive Order 5 was actually signed back in 2018 by former President Muhammadu Buhari and was about science and engineering, not foreign investment.
The government has now taken Adeyemi to court on an eight-count charge for forgery and impersonation. According to reports tracked by DDM News, he faces up to 21 years in prison for each major charge if he is found guilty.
Even though the evidence against him is overwhelming, Adeyemi refuses to back down. From his cell, he claims he did nothing wrong and accuses top government officials of being corrupt and trying to silence his "good work." The trial is now underway, leaving the public shocked at how easily one man tricked the country's biggest institutions.