Court orders arrest of alleged fake PFIPC director-general Adeniyi Adeyemi

The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), after he failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment on Tuesday. Justice Mohammed Umar ordered all security agencies to arrest Adeyemi wherever he is found and adjourned the matter until September 30 for arraignment.

What happened in court

At the resumed proceedings, the registrar called the case but none of the defendants announced their appearance. Police counsel Wisdom Madaki made an oral application for a bench warrant, citing Adeyemi's absence. Adeyemi's lawyer, Genesis Francis, told the court that his client feared for his life and had written a letter to President Bola Tinubu. “The court will help him stay alive,” the judge replied before granting the arrest warrant.

The Nigeria Police Force had previously announced plans to arraign Adeyemi on charges of forgery, impersonation, and related offences. The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, lists Adeyemi, “Femi Surname Unknown,” and “Anu Surname Unknown” as first to third defendants.

Prosecution witnesses lined up

The prosecution has lined up several witnesses, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, police officers, civil servants, and individuals allegedly linked to the operations of the purported agency. Hotel operators, a clergyman, and persons said to have worked with Adeyemi at the alleged agency are also expected to testify.

Investigators alleged that Adeyemi operated the purported agency from the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, before his arrest.

Background to the case

The police case follows a public dispute over the existence of the alleged PFIPC after Adeyemi challenged the Presidency's denial that the body ever existed. Adeyemi accused Gbajabiamila of making conflicting statements regarding both the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

During a recent press briefing, Adeyemi called for an independent probe into the two bodies and alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded financial payments linked to his purported appointment. He claimed that N400 million was paid through intermediaries, with an additional N200 million allegedly requested. These claims have not been substantiated. Adeyemi also argued that references to both the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act, questioning the government's position that the organisations never officially existed.

Broader investigation underway

The planned prosecution comes as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) continues a broader investigation ordered by President Tinubu. The Senate had earlier declined to immediately investigate the inclusion of the alleged PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act, opting instead to await the outcome of the anti-graft agency's probe.

The President directed the ICPC to investigate Adeyemi's activities, any collaborators, and the circumstances that may have enabled the alleged fake agency to appear legitimate. The probe will examine the alleged forgery of appointment letters and other government documents, claims of presidential appointments allegedly used to obtain official recognition and diplomatic support including visa facilitation, as well as the opening and operation of bank accounts in the names of the purported agencies. Investigators are also expected to trace funds linked to the alleged scheme, determine whether any public officials, financial institutions, intermediaries, or private individuals facilitated its operations, identify institutional loopholes that may have been exploited, and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.

For Nigerian businesses and citizens, the case highlights ongoing concerns about the vulnerability of government processes to impersonation and fraud, and the importance of verifying the legitimacy of agencies claiming to operate under presidential authority.