Alleged Fake Agency: FG withdraws old charges for fresh ones against Adeyemi

The federal government on Monday filed fresh charges against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the purported director-general of non-existing Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo, filed the fresh charges at the FCT High Court in Abuja.

In light of that, Mr Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on Monday, withdrew the old charges filed by the Nigerian police before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Mr Oyedepo, who is the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, urged Federal High Court judge Mohammed Umar of the new development and urged him to strike out the charges before him.

He told the judge that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) found some loopholes in the case filed by the police following a review.

He said the alleged forgery which the prosecution leveled against Mr Adeyemi could only be prosecuted at the FCT High Court and not the Federal High Court.

He said this led to the filing of new charges against Mr Adeyemi, promising that the defendant would be expeditiously arraigned afresh before the new trial court.

He urged the judge to strike out the old charges as required by law.

Defence lawyer Ibrahim Angulu, who is also a SAN, did not oppose the request.

Mr Umar promptly struck out the case as requested by the prosecution.

With the decision, the federal government’s case against Mr Adeyemi has now moved from the Federal High Court in Abuja where he was first charged last year to the FCT High Court in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian police charged Mr Adeyemi and others said to be at large with eight counts. Police prosecutor Wisdom Madaki filed the case on 27 November 2025.

The charges accused Mr Adeyemi and two others, identified as Femi and Anu and said to be at large, of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that in counts one, two, three, four, six, seven and eight, the prosecution alleged that Mr Adeyemi and the two other defendants conspired to forge several official documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter, State House letterheads, a conveyance approval for the take-off of the purported PFIPC, requests for approval of staff accounts and office space, and letters seeking collaboration with a federal ministry.

In count five, the prosecution alleged that Mr Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of PFIPC, an offence punishable under Section 179 of the Penal Code.

Mr Adeyemi denied the allegations during his arraignment on Wednesday.

The prosecution proposed 11 prosecution witnesses for the case. They include Mr Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to the president, civil servants, a police officer, officials posted to work with Mr Adeyemi, the proprietor of a hotel and a pastor.

The AGF office took over the case from the police on 30 September.

Background

Mr Adeyemi allegedly gained access to government institutions and processes by presenting documents that purported to show that PFIPC had been created and recognised by the presidency.

He has been in police custody since 14 July, when police arrested him following a warrant issued by Judge Umar.

The case followed a petition by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, to the Inspector-General of Police and the State Security Service (SSS) on 17 October later year.

Mr Gbajabiamila complained about alleged forgery and impersonation linked to the purported PFIPC and Mr Adeyemi’s claim to be its director-general.

This prompted the police to arrest Mr Adeyemi at his office at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja on 27 October.

According to the police investigation, officers recovered correspondence between the purported agency and several government ministries, departments and agencies. Investigators also traced 34 bank accounts linked to the operation, including nine accounts opened in the names of purported government agencies.

Mr Adeyemi spent 23 days in police custody before he was granted administrative bail on 19 November 2025 on health grounds, and the police filed an eight-count charge against him on 27 November.

Failed arraignment attempts

Several attempts to bring Mr Adeyemi to court for arraignment failed.

He was scheduled to be arraigned on 3 February, but the attempt failed after his lawyer asked for more time. The lawyer argued at the time that the defence was served with the charges only recently. Judge Umar eventually adjourned the matter until 11 February.

But the court did not sit on 11 February, and a fresh date of 14 April was subsequently communicated.

Mr Adeyemi was absent from court on 14 April. His lawyer presented a letter indicating that he was ill and asked for an adjournment. The prosecution opposed the request and the court moved the case to 16 June.

Mr Adeyemi appeared on 16 June, but his lawyer told the court that he was unwell and unable to proceed. Judge Umar therefore fixed 14 July for the arraignment.

When the case was called on 14 July, the prosecution told the court that it did not know Mr Adeyemi’s whereabouts.

His defence lawyer, Mr Francis, told the judge that his client was unavailable and that the defence had tried to reach him. The lawyer further explained that Mr Adeyemi feared for his life and had written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu because his client wanted to remain alive to face the trial.

The prosecution then made an oral application for a warrant for his arrest, which Judge Umar granted, and rescheduled proceedings for 30 September, when he was eventually arraigned and the judge ordered his remand in prison.

Less than 12 hours after the court issued the order, the police said its Intelligence Response Team from Abuja was arrested in a hideout in Osun State.

He has remained in police custody since then until his arraignment today (Wednesday) and his subsequent remand in Kuje prison by the judge.

(NAN)