The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday remanded the embattled Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi, in the Kuje Correctional Centre after he pleaded not guilty to an eight-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
Adeyemi, 38, was arraigned before Justice Mohammed Umar following the takeover of the case by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), appeared for the Federal Government.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, was initially instituted by the Nigeria Police Force against Adeyemi and two other suspects, identified in the charge as Femi and Anu, who are still at large.
After the eight counts were read to him, Adeyemi pleaded not guilty to each of them.
Oyedepo told the court that the AGF had directed the Ministry of Justice to take over the prosecution from the police and that the case file would be reviewed.
He, however, urged the court to accept the existing charge and proceed with the arraignment.
Following Adeyemi’s plea, Oyedepo said the defendant had joined issues with the prosecution and had thereby put himself forward for trial.
He subsequently urged the court to remand Adeyemi in custody, citing the circumstances surrounding his conduct prior to his arrest and arraignment.
Defence counsel, Genesis Francis, however, asked the court to consider his client’s bail application, which he said had already been filed and served on the prosecution.
Francis further told the court that Adeyemi had a medical appointment scheduled for Friday over an ailment which he described as contagious.
The prosecution opposed the immediate release of the defendant, with Oyedepo assuring the court that Adeyemi would have access to adequate medical attention while in custody.
He said the correctional facility had medical personnel and facilities capable of attending to the defendant’s needs.
Justice Umar, however, declined to hear the bail application, citing the volume of cases on the court’s cause list.
The judge consequently ordered Adeyemi’s remand in the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter until October 12, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and continuation of the substantive trial.
Adeyemi’s arraignment followed a previous failure to appear in court, prompting Justice Umar to issue an arrest warrant after an application by police counsel, Wisdom Madaki.
He was subsequently arrested about 24 hours after the order.
The prosecution alleges that Adeyemi operated the purported council from an office on the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.
The first count alleges that Adeyemi conspired with the two suspects still at large to forge official documents.
The second count specifically accuses him of forging an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
He was also accused of forging presidential letterhead papers and documents purportedly emanating from the State House.
Other allegations include the forgery of requests for collaboration with government authorities, land requisition, and office accommodation across the 36 states of the federation.
The charge further alleges that Adeyemi forged documents relating to staff account approval and the purported take-off of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the PFIPC.
In count five, the prosecution accused him of falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, contrary to Section 179 of the Penal Code.
The case is part of a wider controversy surrounding the purported PFIPC and claims that Adeyemi presented the organisation as a presidentially-backed government body.
The Presidency had denied that the council was an established government agency, while the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission was subsequently directed to investigate the activities surrounding the purported council.
The ICPC later said Adeyemi’s appointment letter was fraudulent and did not originate from the Presidency.
The controversy escalated after Adeyemi alleged that he paid N400m through a middleman as part of a larger arrangement to secure his appointment as the council’s Director-General.
He also accused Gbajabiamila of involvement in the alleged payment arrangement, an allegation the Chief of Staff has denied.
The dispute subsequently generated a separate N15bn suit filed by Gbajabiamila against Adeyemi over alleged bribery.
The police investigation was reportedly triggered by a petition from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President over the activities of persons allegedly forging official appointment letters.
The prosecution has listed several witnesses it intends to call during the trial, including Gbajabiamila, officials of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, police officers and civil servants.
Others listed as witnesses include Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede, Ituah Sylvester, Akimbo Shola, Adamu Balongu, Ojo Victor, Omeh Amarachukwu and Wakili Saidu, among others. Some are alleged to have worked with Adeyemi at the purported agency.
Adeyemi has denied the allegations against him and pleaded not guilty to all eight counts.
The trial and hearing of his bail application will continue on October 12.
Source: punchng.com
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