by Mohammed Bello Doka
1 July, 2026.
The recent statement from Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, regarding Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew has done little to calm public skepticism. Instead of providing clarity, the official response has opened a Pandora's box of troubling questions. Onanuga's explanation of how a self-proclaimed con artist allegedly operated a fictitious presidential agency from the Federal Secretariat, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, and met with foreign diplomats without detection raises more concerns than it resolves.
According to the official narrative, Matthew, a man with a prior history of fraudulent misrepresentation dating back to 2016 when he falsely claimed to be the President-General of a non-existent United Nations affiliate, created a fake presidential agency. He secured office space at the Federal Secretariat Complex Phase III, opened multiple bank accounts including one with the CBN, and held meetings with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Asokoro. All of this happened without the knowledge of any government authority until the Chief of Staff blew the whistle in October 2025.
Onanuga presents this as a case of a sophisticated con artist who built a web of false claims. But this explanation requires Nigerians to believe several implausible propositions.
Consider the CBN. Does it not maintain a comprehensive dossier of all government agencies authorized to operate accounts? How did a fictitious agency open an account without the CBN's knowledge? The fact that Matthew succeeded suggests either catastrophic failure in the CBN's verification systems or something more sinister.
Then there is the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The statement acknowledges that appointments are the exclusive preserve of the OSGF, not the Chief of Staff. Yet when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the National Security Adviser sought clarification, the OSGF had to write to the Chief of Staff on October 29, 2025. Why did the OSGF need to ask for confirmation? Should the OSGF not have a definitive record of every government agency in existence?
The questions multiply. How did a man with a known history of fraud escape security agencies for nearly a decade? How did a fictitious agency secure office space in the Federal Secretariat without proper documentation? Who granted him access? Why did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs only raise concerns after Matthew had already met with ambassadors? If the Chief of Staff cannot make appointments, why did the OSGF have to ask him for confirmation?
Then there is the budget. The 2026 Appropriation Act is available online for anyone to verify. The disputed Presidential Economic Advisory Council and Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council appear on pages 50 and 51 with an allocation of N1,302,978,784. The entity is listed under Code 0111062001 with specific line items for salaries, allowances, and logistics for hosting the World Investment Summit 2026. How did a fictitious agency get included in the national budget, passed by the National Assembly, and signed into law by the President?
Let us consider the two possible scenarios, both damning.
Scenario one: The government is correct that Matthew was a lone wolf. This reveals a government so incompetent that its bureaucratic systems cannot distinguish between legitimate and fictional agencies. Security agencies cannot detect a known fraudster. The financial system is so porous that a con artist can open accounts with the apex bank. Diplomatic protocols are so weak that a fake official can engage with foreign ambassadors. And the OSGF, custodian of government records, does not have a definitive list of agencies. Worse still, over N1.3 billion was budgeted for an agency that does not exist. International confidence in Nigeria's governance would be severely damaged.
Scenario two: The government is not telling the whole truth, and Matthew had official backing. The death of his alleged accomplice, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, in a fire just five days before Matthew's arrest, becomes deeply suspicious. The presence of the agency in the budget suggests someone within the process inserted it. Were they attempting to siphon funds? Were they building parallel diplomatic channels? The government's silence only deepens the suspicion.
Both scenarios point to catastrophic failures. In the first, the government is incompetent. In the second, it is complicit. Either way, Nigerians have legitimate reasons to question the credibility of their government.
What makes this case difficult to accept is the sheer audacity. We are asked to believe that one man, acting alone, created a fictitious presidential agency, secured a federal office, met with diplomats, opened CBN accounts, and had over N1.3 billion allocated to him in the national budget. This strains credulity. The government must provide evidence. Who approved his office space? Who facilitated his meeting with ambassadors? How did he open CBN accounts? How did a fictitious agency make it into the budget?
The embarrassment cannot be overstated. Nigeria is now the subject of international ridicule. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs discovered the fraud after the fact. Security agencies were alerted by the Chief of Staff rather than discovering it themselves. The CBN allowed a fictitious agency to open an account. The OSGF had to ask whether an appointment was genuine. The National Assembly passed a budget containing an agency that does not exist. The President signed it into law.
The government must provide answers. Security agencies must explain why a known fraudster was not on their radar. The Ministry must explain why they failed to vet Matthew before he met ambassadors. The Accountant-General must explain how a fictitious agency opened a CBN account. The CBN must explain why its verification systems failed. The OSGF must explain why it lacked a definitive record of agencies. The National Assembly must explain how a fictitious agency was included in the budget. The President must explain how he signed it into law.
Nigerians deserve a thorough investigation and meaningful accountability. We deserve leaders who will take responsibility rather than blame one man. This case exposes a government that allowed a fraudster to operate at the highest levels undetected. It reveals a national security apparatus that failed to protect our institutions. It exposes a diplomatic corps that failed to vet individuals engaging with foreign representatives. It reveals a financial system that failed to question government accounts. And it exposes a budget process so compromised that over N1.3 billion was allocated to a non-existent entity.
Until the government provides satisfactory answers, Nigerians will believe there is more to this story. The time for answers is now. Justice must be served, not just against Matthew, but against every institution whose failure made his deception possible.
Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via [email protected]
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