The Nigerian government has filed an eight-count charge against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled director-general of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES reveal that the prosecution has lined up 11 witnesses, including the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, to testify against Adeyemi. The case is scheduled for hearing on 27 July.
Background of the controversy
The presidency disowned Adeyemi and the PFIPC two weeks ago, with Gbajabiamila issuing a statement denying any appointment. However, investigations revealed that the non-existent agency had a budgetary allocation, opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), corresponded with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, secured office spaces at the federal secretariat, and had at least three senior civil servants deployed to work there. Adeyemi, speaking from hiding, insisted he had done nothing wrong and accused the presidency of trying to silence him.
Police investigation report
The charges followed an investigation by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit, conducted between 23 October and 13 November 2025. According to the police report, Gbajabiamila reported the case of forgery and impersonation to the IGP on 17 October 2025. Adeyemi was arrested on 27 October 2025 from his office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, Phase III, and a search warrant was executed on his office and residence in Suleja, Niger State.
In his statement, Adeyemi alleged that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the fake appointment letter. However, police found that Tanimola died on 22 October 2025 after a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja. Investigators interviewed Tanimola's sister, the hotel proprietor Joy Ngwoke, and pastor Ven Okoriko of St Matthew's Anglican Church, Maitama. They also interviewed three civil servants posted to Adeyemi's office on 10 November 2025.
Financial trail and bank accounts
Investigators traced 34 bank accounts to Adeyemi, including nine accounts opened in the name of purported government agencies such as FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership FIPA-APP. The police recovered correspondence between Adeyemi and various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). However, the investigators noted that they had not taken Gbajabiamila's statement or obtained specimen signatures for forensic analysis.
The eight-count charge
The charge, filed on 27 November 2025 by police prosecutor Wisdom Madaki, accuses Adeyemi and two others at large—Femi and Anu—of conspiracy to commit felony and forgery of documents, including a presidential appointment letter, presidential letterhead, conveyance approval for take-off of the PFIPC, request for approval of staff accounts, request for office space, and letters of request for collaboration with a ministry. Count five accuses Adeyemi of falsely personating as the Director General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, an offence under section 179 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, Adeyemi faces up to 21 years imprisonment without the option of a fine for counts one, two, three, four, and six, and up to three years with an option of a fine for count six, under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
List of witnesses and exhibits
The 11 witnesses include: Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede, Ituah Sylvester, and Akimbo Shola, all civil servants from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation; police officer Adamu Balongu (Deputy Superintendent of Police); Ojo Victor, Omeh Amarachukwu, and Wakili Saidu, civil servants posted to the non-existent agency; Joy Ngwoke, owner of Kachi Hotel; and Ven Okoriko, pastor of St Matthew's Anglican Church.
Exhibits tendered include the police investigation report, Gbajabiamila's petition dated 17 October 2025, Adeyemi's fake presidential appointment letter dated 8 March 2024, request for note verbally sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, approvals to open CBN accounts, request for approval of self-accounting sent to the Accountant General, conveyance of approval for take-off of PFIPC, letters of request for collaboration with ministries, statements of all witnesses and defendants, and photographs. The prosecutor noted that additional witnesses may be called at trial.
