Alleged fake presidential council DG fails to appear in court, arraignment stalls

The scheduled arraignment of the self-proclaimed Director-General of the alleged non-existent Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, may not proceed after he failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Adeyemi is expected to be arraigned before Justice Mohammed Umar on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, was listed as number 12 on the court’s cause list. However, the defendant was absent when the matter was called.

There are indications that the Inspector-General of Police, who is prosecuting the case, may apply for a bench warrant to facilitate Adeyemi’s arrest.

The charges against Adeyemi and two other defendants were filed on November 27, 2025, by police prosecutor Wisdom Madaki.

Among those listed as prosecution witnesses are the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; Ituah Sylvester; two officials of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu; as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Monday, Adeyemi denied going into hiding, insisting that he withdrew from public view because of alleged threats to his life.

“I’m ready to show my face. I’m not hiding. I’m only fearing for my life because I have it on good authority that my life is in danger. There have been several attempts on my life,” he said.

Adeyemi also maintained his claim that he paid N400 million through a proxy to President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to secure his appointment as Director-General of the disputed council.

According to him, those who allegedly provided the N400 million loan have since petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the matter.

An interim police investigation reportedly alleged that Adeyemi forged appointment letters and official government documents to create the impression that the PFIPC was a legitimate federal agency.

Police said the investigation began after the Office of the Chief of Staff petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on October 17, 2025, over the alleged circulation of forged appointment letters purportedly issued from the office.

Investigators claimed the forged documents contained fake signatures, reference numbers, official seals and the Nigerian Coat of Arms, which were allegedly used to appoint individuals into the purported council.

According to the police, Adeyemi presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC and allegedly operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.

One of the individuals allegedly connected to the scheme, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, reportedly died in a fire incident at a hotel in Abuja.

Despite the allegations, Adeyemi has continued to insist that the PFIPC is a legitimate entity. He recently called on President Tinubu to establish an independent multi-stakeholder panel to investigate the controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion budget insertion for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

In an open letter to the President, Adeyemi said he was prepared to provide documentary evidence and cooperate fully with investigators if an independent panel was constituted.

He proposed that the panel should include representatives of civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), independent media organisations, international financial institutions, human rights groups, diplomatic missions, as well as the ICPC and the EFCC.

Adeyemi added that his decision to remain out of public view was also influenced by the circumstances surrounding the death of Tanimola, whom he described as a key intermediary in the matter.