The head of a bogus government agency set up in the Nigerian president's office has been arrested after weeks in hiding.
The report indicates that the head of a bogus government agency set up in the Nigerian president’s office has been arrested after weeks in hiding.
It further notes that adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who called himself director general of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), was detained in the south-western state of Osun State.
His arrest followed a warrant issued on Tuesday by the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja, after he failed to appear at a hearing to face charges of forgery and impersonation.
The case has gripped Nigeria since President Bola Tinubu ordered a corruption investigation into the fictitious agency last week.
Details of Tuesday’s arrest remain sketchy, but police confirmed operatives from its Force Intelligence Department and Intelligence Response Team were involved.
The suspect is expected to be taken to the police headquarters in Abuja for further questioning.
The police launched a manhunt for Adeyemi after the allegations about the PFIPC surfaced last week.
Tinubu’s office stated an official-looking letter creating the agency was fake.
Police forensic analysis had confirmed the signature of the president’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on the disputed appointment letter had been forged, the presidency said.
The scandal has prompted calls for an independent inquiry from civil society groups, opposition politicians and senior lawyers.
Adeyemi has maintained his innocence in interviews with local media.
“My life is in danger,” he said, according to local reports, though he promised to appear in court to clear his name.
But he was absent at the hearing on Tuesday. His lawyer, Genesis Francis, told the court he had been unable to persuade his client to attend, citing Adeyemi’s safety fears.
The lawyer stated the defendant had written an open letter to President Tinubu expressing those concerns.
