The head of a bogus government agency set up in the Nigerian president's office has been arrested after weeks in hiding. 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.

Tinubu's office said 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, claiming his life is in danger.

BBC News Pidgin found the agency had secured office space within the Federal Secretariat, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of 1.3bn naira ($950,000). However, the Accountant-General's Office said the PFIPC had never operated an account with the central bank, nor received any public funds.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk