- The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the immediate arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, after he failed to appear in court.
- Adeyemi faces an eight-count charge including forgery, fraud, and impersonation.
- The prosecution has listed key figures, including Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, to testify in the criminal trial.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the embattled, self-proclaimed Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, following his failure to appear for his scheduled arraignment.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Adeyemi was expected to stand before Justice Mohammed Umar to enter his plea on an eight-count charge bordering on criminal forgery, fraud, and impersonation.
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When the case, registered under suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, was called up for hearing, the defendant was conspicuously absent, prompting the court to issue a bench warrant for his immediate arrest.
The criminal charges, filed on November 27, 2025, by police prosecutor Wisdom Madaki, also implicate two other individuals.
A formidable lineup of prosecution witnesses is scheduled to testify during the trial, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; Ituah Sylvester; a Deputy Superintendent of Police; and two representatives from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu.
Adeyemi’s absence in court comes just a day after he made a public appearance on TV, vigorously denying allegations that he was evading law enforcement agencies.
During the broadcast on Monday, he claimed his absence from the public eye was due to credible threats to his life rather than a desire to flee justice.
During the interview, Adeyemi repeated a controversial claim that he had paid ₦400 million through an intermediary to secure his appointment to the disputed federal council.
He added that the lenders from whom he sourced the ₦400 million had already petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the transaction.
The police investigation into the alleged PFIPC scandal was launched after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President filed a petition with the Inspector-General of Police on October 17, 2025.
The petition flagged the circulation of forged appointment letters carrying fake reference numbers, official seals, the Nigerian Coat of Arms, and forged signatures, designed to falsely present the council as a legitimate executive body.
Security agents allege that Adeyemi operated an illegal office under the guise of this council within the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja. The prosecution has also linked the scheme to Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, an associate who reportedly died in an Abuja hotel fire.
Despite the heavy charges, Adeyemi has maintained that the agency is legitimate, pointing to an alleged ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act as proof of its existence.
In an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, he has called for a joint investigative panel involving the EFCC, the ICPC, the Nigerian Bar Association, and civil society groups to probe the matter, promising to present documentary evidence to clear his name.
