Federal government vs Adeyemi’s PFIPC, what Abuja court decided

• A Federal High Court in Abuja acted on several criminal charges against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the alleged head of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council
• The federal government's lead prosecutor told the court the Attorney General reviewed the case and reportedly found loopholes in the charges filed by the Inspector General of Police
• Adeyemi faces fresh arraignment at the High Court of the FCT over documents he allegedly forged to establish and run the non-existent agency

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

FCT, Abuja - A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, October 12, terminated the eight-count criminal case brought by the federal government against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of posing as the Director General of a fictitious government body known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Legit.ng recalls that in late September, Adeyemi was remanded at Kuje Prison.

Why did FG review Adeyemi’s case?

As reported by Daily Trust on Monday, October 12, 2026, Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the charges after the prosecution itself requested the case be dropped, citing plans to move Adeyemi to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for fresh arraignment

Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), told the court that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice reviewed Adeyemi's case file alongside the charge originally filed by the Inspector General of Police and identified weaknesses in the case. Oyedepo said the documents Adeyemi allegedly forged to establish and run the agency fall under the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court, not the Federal High Court.

According to court documents, Adeyemi and two others are accused of using forged official papers to create and operate the PFIPC, opening several bank accounts in its name and seeking formal government recognition for the body.

How did the PFIPC scandal unfold?

The case first drew national attention in July 2026, when President Bola Tinubu ordered a corruption investigation into the body after an official-looking letter purporting to establish the council was exposed as a forgery. Police launched a manhunt for Adeyemi following the allegations.

Forensic analysis by the police confirmed that the signature of the President's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on a disputed appointment letter had been forged, according to the Presidency.

Despite having no legitimate standing, the PFIPC had managed to secure office space inside the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, the government complex that houses dozens of ministries. The agency also appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budget allocation of 1.3 billion naira (roughly $950,000), and Legit.ng found it had made moves to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The Accountant-General's Office later clarified that the PFIPC had never operated a CBN account, received public funds, or paid any salaries.

Adeyemi had claimed the council was set up in 2024 to attract foreign investment into Nigeria, though no record of any concluded deals exists.

The scandal drew calls for an independent inquiry from civil society groups, opposition politicians and senior lawyers. Adeyemi, who has spoken to local media, maintained his innocence and said he would appear in court to clear his name.

"My life is in danger," he said in one of those interviews, though he pledged to cooperate with the judicial process.

Atiku reacts as ICPC uncovers 'fake' agencies

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar rejected the interim report by the ICPC on the alleged fake PFIPC, saying it does not amount to a clean bill of health for the presidency.

The opposition leader's senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, issued the statement on Atiku's behalf.

Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, argued that the report itself recorded evidence of negligence and connivance within government circles, which he said made it impossible to conclude that only one person was responsible for the alleged operation.

Source: Legit.ng