Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly paraded himself as the Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), has been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation.
Adeyemi was docked on Wednesday on an eight-count charge after being in detention since July 14, following his arrest on the strength of a bench warrant issued by the court.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to him before Justice Mohammed Umar.
Following the arraignment, the court ordered that Adeyemi be remanded at Kuje Prison pending October 12, when the matter will come up for further hearing.
The case has also been taken over from the police by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, with the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, leading the prosecution.
The prosecution requested an accelerated hearing of the case.
However, efforts by Adeyemi’s counsel, Mr Genesis Francis, to have the court immediately consider his client’s bail application were unsuccessful.
Francis urged the court to consider bail, citing Adeyemi’s alleged medical condition and stating that the defendant had a medical appointment scheduled for Friday.
The prosecution opposed the request, arguing that the government had adequate medical facilities to attend to Adeyemi’s health needs.
Justice Umar subsequently ruled that the bail application would be heard on the next adjourned date.
Among those expected to testify in the case are the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.
Other witnesses listed by the prosecution include 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.
Before his arrest, Adeyemi had granted an interview to Channels Television from his hideout, where he alleged that he withdrew from public view because of threats to his life.
He denied allegations that he was deliberately hiding from law enforcement agencies to evade investigation into the controversy surrounding the PFIPC.
Adeyemi also maintained his allegation that he paid N400 million through a proxy to President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila, to secure his appointment as Director-General of the disputed council.
According to him, individuals from whom he borrowed the N400 million subsequently petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the matter.
However, an interim police investigation report alleged that Adeyemi forged appointment letters and other official documents in an attempt to create the impression that the PFIPC was a legitimate Federal Government agency.
The police said the investigation followed a petition submitted by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on October 17, 2025, concerning individuals allegedly involved in forging official appointment letters purportedly issued from the office.
The petition stated that preliminary findings revealed that the documents allegedly contained falsified signatures, reference numbers, official seals and the Nigerian Coat of Arms.
The documents were allegedly used to appoint individuals into the PFIPC, which investigators described as a non-existent government agency.
Adeyemi was identified as the principal suspect and was accused of presenting himself as the council’s Director-General while operating from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.
One of the individuals allegedly linked to the matter, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, reportedly died in a fire at a hotel in Abuja.
Despite the allegations, Adeyemi has continued to deny that the PFIPC was non-existent.
He has also called for an independent, multi-stakeholder investigative panel to examine the controversy surrounding an alleged N1.3 billion budgetary insertion for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
In an open letter to President Tinubu, Adeyemi said he was ready 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 and diplomatic missions, alongside the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the EFCC.
Adeyemi said his decision to remain out of public view was further influenced by what he described as the controversial circumstances surrounding Tanimola’s death, whom he identified as a key intermediary in the matter.
Charges
One of the counts against Adeyemi alleges that he, alongside two other individuals identified as Femi and Anu, who are said to be at large, forged presidential letter-headed papers on or about March 8, 2024, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
The prosecution said the alleged offence contravened Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
Another count alleges that Adeyemi and the other suspects forged a request for collaboration with the Ministry concerning land requisition and offices across the 36 states of the federation, purportedly issued from the State House, Abuja.
The prosecution similarly alleged that the act contravened Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Adeyemi has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations remain subject to determination by the court.