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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Nigeria Police yesterday arrested Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the alleged “non-existent” Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
He was apprehended in Osun State, hours after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, issued a bench warrant for his arrest following his failure to appear in court for his arraignment.
Adeyemi was expected to take his plea on an eight-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
Justice Umar issued the bench warrant following an oral application by the prosecution and subsequently adjourned the matter until September 30 for arraignment.
Explaining the defendant’s absence, his counsel, Genesis Francis, told the court that his client feared for his life and had written to President Bola Tinubu on the matter, stressing that Adeyemi intended to “stay alive” for his trial.
Justice Umar, however, was unmoved, telling the defence counsel that the court would “help him to be alive” before proceeding to issue the warrant.
Prosecution counsel, Wisdom Madaki, had urged the court to issue a warrant to compel Adeyemi’s appearance.
The judge granted the application and directed security operatives to arrest the defendant anywhere in the country and produce him before the court to face trial.
The charge, filed by police prosecutor Madaki on November 27, 2025, accuses Adeyemi and two others, identified simply as Femi and Anu, who are currently at large, of conspiracy and forgery in counts one, two, three, four, six, seven and eight.
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The alleged offences involve a purported presidential appointment letter, forged State House letterheads, a conveyance approval for the take-off of the PFIPC, requests for approval of staff accounts and office space, as well as letters seeking collaboration with a federal ministry.
In count five, the prosecution alleged that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC, an offence punishable under Section 179 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, Adeyemi faces up to 21 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine on the forgery-related counts, while the impersonation charge carries a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment or a fine.
Court documents listed the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede and Ituah Sylvester, as prosecution witnesses.
Also listed are two civil servants from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Exhibits to be tendered before the court include a note verbale allegedly sent by Adeyemi to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, purported approvals to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), a request for self-accounting status submitted to the OAGF, correspondence relating to the take-off of the PFIPC, and a letter seeking land and office allocations across the 36 states of the federation.
Adeyemi was first arrested on October 27, 2025, by the Police Monitoring Unit following a petition from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President. He was detained for 23 days before being released.
According to the Presidency, investigators discovered that he allegedly operated 34 bank accounts, including nine linked to fictitious government agencies, and had secured office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat before the PFIPC surfaced with a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act, triggering nationwide controversy over how a disowned agency found its way into the national budget.
The Senate has denied inserting the budgetary provision, while President Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter within 30 days.
Adeyemi has maintained his innocence, accusing Gbajabiamila of demanding a share of the agency’s funds and insisting that he is prepared to defend himself in court.
