A human rights lawyer, Barrister Abba Hikima Fagge, has questioned the Federal Government’s explanation over alleged fraudulent activities linked to Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who is accused of parading himself as Director-General of a non-existent presidential agency.
Fagge raised the questions on Thursday in a post on his verified Facebook page while reacting to reports that the Presidency had accused Adeyemi of using forged documents to open a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account and operate multiple bank accounts in the names of fictitious government agencies.
The Presidency, in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, alleged that Adeyemi fraudulently obtained government documents to open accounts and mislead the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
It also claimed that investigations revealed he operated 34 bank accounts, including nine linked to fictitious agencies such as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP).
Reacting to the development, Fagge questioned the narrative being presented by the Presidency, insisting that several official processes must have been involved if the agency indeed appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
He asked: “If the so-called agency was truly fictitious: Who inserted it into the 2026 Appropriation Act? Who defended the budget before the National Assembly? Which Senate and House Committees scrutinised and approved the allocation? Who advised the President to assent to a budget containing funds for a supposedly non-existent agency?”
The lawyer further queried the financial and administrative processes behind the alleged agency, asking: “Who authorised the opening of its alleged CBN account? If over 300 personnel were approved for the agency, who approved them, and who has been paying their salaries? Who allocated office space to the agency at the Federal Secretariat, and under whose authority?”
Fagge maintained that even if Adeyemi is found culpable, the matter cannot be isolated from other officials involved in the system.
He stated: “Even if Adeyemi is culpable, many more ‘big men’ likely are. Everyone involved should come to Nigerians clean. But the Presidency’s narrative just doesn’t make sense.”
The controversy has continued to generate reactions following allegations by the Presidency that Adeyemi forged his appointment letter, falsely claimed to be a government appointee, and used the claim to secure diplomatic facilitation, including a note verbal from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for visa processing.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing.
