The police have arrested Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), following investigations into activities linked to the purported agency.
Mathew was arrested by operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at his hideout in Osun State after weeks of intelligence-driven operations. Authorities said the arrest was carried out peacefully and the suspect has been taken into police custody.
The arrest came shortly after Mathew failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where a judge had earlier issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Mathew had been communicating with media organisations from his hideout, claiming that his life was in danger. He also appeared on a television programme and had previously spoken with social media personality VeryDarkMan, discussing his alleged involvement with the organisation currently being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
During the interviews, Mathew claimed he paid millions of naira through an intermediary, Dolapo Tanimola, to secure his appointment. Tanimola was reportedly believed to have died in a fire incident at a hotel in Abuja.
The alleged PFIPC has been under investigation following concerns over the acquisition of office space at the Federal Secretariat and the inclusion of N1.333 billion allocated to the agency in the 2026 budget.
The Federal High Court case involves an eight-count charge against Mathew and two other individuals identified as Femi and Anu, who are currently at large.
The defendants are accused of offences including conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. Prosecutors alleged that they forged documents linked to the purported agency, including appointment letters, presidential letterheads, requests for government collaboration and other official documents.
The prosecution also accused Mathew of falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of the alleged council between 2024 and 2025.
At the court hearing, police counsel Wisdom Madaki requested a bench warrant, stating that Mathew had repeatedly failed to appear despite several adjournments. Defence counsel Genesis Francis opposed the request, arguing that his client’s absence was linked to alleged threats against his life.
Justice Mohammed Umar granted the arrest warrant and directed security agencies to apprehend Mathew wherever he is found. The case was adjourned until September 30 for his arraignment.
The charges against Mathew are said to fall under provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and the Penal Code relating to forgery and impersonation.
