The federal government on Monday filed fresh charges against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the director-general (DG) of the alleged non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), after the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, struck out the earlier case.
Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), told Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court that a new case was filed at the FCT High Court.
Mr Oyedepo, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, applied to have the instant charge struck out.
He told the judge that the AGF reviewed Mr Adeyemi’s case file and the charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police and found some loopholes.
The lawyer submitted that the documents allegedly forged by Mr Adeyemi during his operations of the agency, said to be fake, were those that could be prosecuted by the High Court of the FCT and not the Federal High Court.
He said that a new charge had been filed at the High Court of the FCT and that Mr Adeyemi would be expeditiously arraigned afresh. He urged the judge to strike out the charge as required by law.
Since the defence lawyer, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the request, Mr Umar struck out the case.
Mr Adeyemi and his co-defendants, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, are being prosecuted on an eight-count charge preferred against them by the police.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, the police accused the defendants of allegations bordering on forgery and impersonation, among others.
While the Federal Republic of Nigeria is listed as the complainant, Mr Adeyemi, 38, “Femi Surname Unknown”, and “Anu Surname Unknown” are named as the first to third defendants, respectively.
Wisdom Madaki, a police prosecutor, filed the charge on November 27, 2025.
On September 30, the AGF took over the case from the police.
And after the defendant was arraigned, Mr Umar ordered Mr Adeyemi’s remand at Kuje Correctional Centre.
According to the court documents, witnesses listed in the case include the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.
Others are civil servants working in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGoF); Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu were on the list.
Also listed as witnesses are Ojo Victor, Omeh Amarachukwu, and Wakili Saidu, all of whom were allegedly posted to work with Mr Adeyemi at the non-existent agency.
Others are Joy Ngwoke, the owner of Kachi Hotel in Abuja, and Ven Okoriko, the pastor of St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama.
The documentary evidence expected to be tendered by the police includes the police investigation report, Mr Gbajabiamila’s petition dated October 17, 2025, and Mr Adeyemi’s fake presidential appointment letter dated March 8, 2024.
These also include the request for a note verbally sent by Mr Adeyemi to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the approvals he got to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the request for approval of self-accounting Mr Adeyemi sent to the AGoF and the conveyance of approval for take-off of the PFIPC.
Other documents listed by the prosecution include a letter requesting collaboration with the ministry on land acquisition and offices across the 36 states of the federation; statements from all witnesses and the defendants; and pictures.
The police stated in the court document, “The prosecution shall during the trial call any other related witness or witnesses to prove its case.”
Mr Adeyemi was alleged to have operated the fictitious agency from the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, Phase III, before his arrest.
Mr Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on July 7 to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the fictitious agency.
The ICPC, which was given 30 days to complete the investigation, had since concluded its investigation.
(NAN)
