How Controversial PFIPC DG Lived in Alaafin's Palace, Forged His Way into Govt System - Newstrends
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How Controversial PFIPC DG Lived in Alaafin’s Palace, Forged His Way into Govt System

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Fake Agency Director Blew N400m on Cars, Relatives, Luxury Items – Police
Prince Adeniyi Mathew Adeyemi

How Controversial PFIPC DG Lived in Alaafin’s Palace, Forged His Way into Govt System

The unfolding scandal surrounding Prince Adeniyi Mathew Adeyemi, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the alleged ghost agency, Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), has taken a new turn with revelations about his past ties to the Palace of the Alaafin of Oyo and how he allegedly infiltrated the Federal Government system using forged documents. Investigations conducted by federal agencies from early 2025 revealed that the controversial DG was not biologically related to the late monarch, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, but rather grew up in the palace and adopted the title of prince. Sources confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that Adeniyi Mathew’s situation caught the attention of security agencies early last year, triggering investigations across multiple locations, including educational institutions, business links, and childhood locations. A top aide to the late Alaafin Adeyemi confirmed to investigators that the said Prince Adeniyi Mathew Adeyemi was not in any way related to Oba Lamidi Adeyemi. The top aide also confirmed that the surname of the controversial DG is Adeniyi, while his middle name is Mathew. It was gathered that at a stage, Oba Adeyemi had to warn him to drop the use of the title of Prince because he was never a prince.

The controversy surrounding Adeyemi escalated following an altercation with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who disowned him and accused him of running an illegal body. Documents reviewed showed that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) acted on letters from Adeyemi’s PFIPC, apparently believing the council was a legitimate agency under the Presidency. Adeyemi’s claim to office reportedly began with a purported appointment letter dated March 8, 2024, conveying his appointment as Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC). The letter claimed President Bola Tinubu approved the appointment effective March 1, 2024, was written on what appeared to be State House letterhead, and carried a signature placed above Gbajabiamila’s name. The Chief of Staff has denied writing or signing the letter. According to a highly-placed civil servant who reviewed the document after Adeyemi’s arrest, the DG exploited a bureaucratic blind spot. “Adeniyi took that fake letter, falsely signed by Gbajabiamila, to the civil service headquarters and said ‘please refer to my appointment letter attached.’ He arranged his terms of reference where he stated that he needed an office.” The civil servant noted that officials were supposed to know that the Chief of Staff does not appoint anyone at that level, but the loophole allowed the fraud to proceed.

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The PFIPC scandal revealed how a supposedly non-existent agency managed to secure official recognition and government resources. Documents showed that on July 29, 2025, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation wrote to the CBN requesting the creation of domiciliary accounts for two MDAs, including the PFIPC. On August 13, 2025, the CBN confirmed that it had opened dollar and pounds accounts for the council. Adeyemi also wrote to the Accountant-General’s office on January 13, 2025, requesting self-accounting status for the agency. Despite the letter being written on State House letterhead, it was signed by Adeyemi as Director-General of PFIPC. After further correspondence, the OAGF granted the council a six-month provisional self-accounting status effective May 27, 2025. The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation formally processed and forwarded a request by the council’s self-styled Director-General seeking office accommodation from recovered Federal Government properties through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Correspondence, dated November 21, 2024, was signed by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, on behalf of the SGF. Court documents showed that Adeyemi eventually operated from the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja. By April 2025, Adeyemi wrote to the OAGF requesting accounting and audit staff, and at least three civil servants from the OAGF were later deployed to the agency on August 28, 2025. Additionally, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation reportedly approved 314 staff positions for the purported agency.

His matter became further complicated following the discovery that he operated a Treasury Single Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria and that his agency was allocated the sum of N1.3 billion in the 2026 budget, aside from the fact that he operates from the Federal Secretariat, Abuja. The budget allocation has raised serious questions about how a non-existent agency found its way into the national budget. SERAP has urged the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to disclose certified copies of all documents relating to the consideration and approval of the allocation to the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act. The organization argued that Nigerians have a right to know whether public funds were appropriated for an entity that was not lawfully established. BudgIT also called on President Bola Tinubu to order an independent investigation into the N1.3 billion allocation, questioning how the alleged agency secured office space within the Federal Secretariat, operated several CBN accounts, and engaged government institutions, development partners and diplomatic missions before concerns were raised over its legitimacy.

The scandal has prompted calls for an independent investigation, with growing demands for transparency and accountability. Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Public Affairs, acknowledged that it was impossible to deny the existence of internal collaborators in the fake agency scandal. The Presidency has directed security and anti-graft agencies to identify, arrest, and prosecute government officials who may have collaborated with Adeyemi to run the ‘phantom’ council. The Federal Government has filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi before the Federal High Court, with hearing fixed for July 27, 2026. The charges include conspiracy, forgery of a presidential appointment letter, impersonation, and related offences.

Investigations have also revealed that Adeyemi previously served briefly in 2023 as Senior Special Assistant on Protocol to Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke. A top government source said Adeyemi was appointed to handle visa and travel documents for the governor and other officials but was dismissed after allegations of misconduct surfaced, including an incident where he allegedly forged the signature of Governor Adeleke. The scandal has led to calls for the Chief of Staff’s removal, with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) demanding that Gbajabiamila step aside to allow for an independent investigation. The opposition party questioned how an agency described as non-existent could allegedly secure government funding and operate financial accounts at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

How Controversial PFIPC DG Lived in Alaafin’s Palace, Forged His Way into Govt System

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Ex-APC Women Leader Found Dead With Throat Slit in Bauchi

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Ex-APC Women Leader Found Dead With Throat Slit in Bauchi

Ex-APC Women Leader Found Dead With Throat Slit in Bauchi

A former APC Women Leader in Bauchi South, Jemimah Dutse, has been found dead inside her residence in Bauchi State, with her throat allegedly slit by unidentified assailants.

Dutse was discovered in a pool of blood at her residence in Muazu New Layout, Yelwa, Bauchi, on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

The Bauchi State Police Command said the incident was reported at about 2:07pm by a 49-year-old man, following which detectives visited the residence and documented the scene.

Her body was subsequently evacuated to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, for medical examination and autopsy.

The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, directed that the case be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a discreet and thorough investigation.

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The police said the investigation is focused on establishing the circumstances surrounding Dutse’s death and identifying the person or persons responsible.

The motive for the killing remains unknown, and authorities have not established any link between the death and Dutse’s previous political activities.

The command has appealed for calm and expressed condolences to Dutse’s family, friends and political associates, while assuring them that efforts are underway to unravel the circumstances surrounding her death.

The incident has also generated concern among residents and groups in Bauchi, with calls for a comprehensive investigation and improved security in the area.

The Take-It-Back Movement, Bauchi chapter, condemned the killing and called on security agencies to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those responsible.

The group also urged the authorities to conduct a high-powered investigation into the incident and strengthen security measures across Bauchi metropolis and surrounding communities.

Police said further developments would be communicated as the investigation progresses.

Ex-APC Women Leader Found Dead With Throat Slit in Bauchi

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Kidnappers torture abducted corps members, slash ransom to N100m

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Kidnappers torture abducted corps members, slash ransom to N100m

Kidnappers torture abducted corps members, slash ransom to N100m

Relatives of 20 abducted corps members have raised fresh concerns over the safety of the victims, alleging that kidnappers have subjected them to physical torture while reducing their ransom demand to N100 million.

The prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were reportedly travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, on October 1.

The abductors initially reportedly demanded N50 million from each victim, putting the total ransom at N1 billion.

However, relatives said the kidnappers have now reduced the demand to N5 million per victim, bringing the total to N100 million.

The families also alleged that the abducted corps members were being beaten in captivity, including female victims, raising fears over their physical condition as the rescue operation continues.

A relative of one of the victims, Alimot Akande, said the situation had become increasingly frightening, appealing to the authorities to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ safe release.

According to the relatives, the abductors have maintained contact with some families through the phones of the captives and have used the communication to demand ransom.

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The families had earlier appealed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, for intervention after the kidnappers reportedly demanded the initial N1 billion ransom.

Meanwhile, security agencies have intensified efforts to locate the kidnappers’ hideout and rescue the victims.

The Imo State Police Command said its operatives had traced the suspected kidnappers to a location in the bush. However, the operation has reportedly been complicated by intelligence that the area may have been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The police said drone surveillance was used to identify the suspected location of the captives, with plans underway to deploy additional operational equipment to safely access the area.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Umar Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation.

Nadada subsequently reviewed the security deployment and directed additional tactical resources towards efforts to rescue the abducted corps members.

Police authorities have assured the families that efforts are ongoing to locate the victims and bring them home safely.

There have also been varying reports over the exact number of people abducted and those already rescued. The police initially reported that some victims had been rescued after the attack, while relatives continued to maintain that 20 prospective corps members remained affected by the abduction.

The two buses involved in the incident have reportedly been recovered as security agencies continue operations around the area.

The Oyo State Government has also joined efforts to secure the release of the victims, maintaining contact with the Imo State Government and security agencies.

The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of prospective corps members travelling to NYSC orientation camps, particularly along major highways where kidnapping remains a persistent security challenge.

For the affected families, the immediate priority remains the safe return of their loved ones as security agencies work to overcome the reported explosives threat and reach the suspected kidnappers’ hideout.

Kidnappers torture abducted corps members, slash ransom to N100m

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Family seeks N10m to free kidnapped newlywed, other victims

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Family seeks N10m to free kidnapped newlywed, other victims

Family seeks N10m to free kidnapped newlywed, other victims

The family of a newlywed woman kidnapped in Kwara State has appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance to raise ₦10 million being sought for the release of her and other victims still held by their abductors.

The victims were among six passengers reportedly abducted along the Eruku-Iyemero Road, a route linking communities in Kwara and Kogi states.

The incident involved newlyweds Funmilayo Bamidele and Rev. Abiodun David, who were travelling with other passengers when suspected kidnappers intercepted their vehicle.

Following the abduction, the victims’ vehicle was reportedly found abandoned around Ayetoro in Ekiti State, prompting security agencies and authorities from Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti to intensify efforts to locate the victims and rescue them.

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The family of Precious Alonge, one of those abducted, has now appealed for public support, saying they need to raise ₦10 million to secure the release of the captives.

The appeal comes amid growing concern over the safety of travellers using the route, which has witnessed security challenges and kidnapping incidents.

One of the six abducted passengers has reportedly been rescued, while efforts are continuing to secure the release of those still in captivity.

The families of the victims have continued to appeal for assistance as security agencies work to locate the kidnappers and secure the safe return of the remaining captives.

The incident has renewed concerns about kidnapping along inter-state roads in Nigeria, particularly routes connecting communities across Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states.

Security authorities have yet to provide a full account of the circumstances surrounding the abduction or disclose details of any arrests made in connection with the incident.

The families are urging members of the public, community leaders and other well-meaning Nigerians to support their efforts to secure the safe release of the remaining victims.

Family seeks N10m to free kidnapped newlywed, other victims

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