The planned arraignment of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), was stalled on Tuesday after he failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Adeyemi was expected to take his plea before Justice Mohammed Umar on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025.
With the defendant absent when the matter was called, there are indications that the Inspector-General of Police, who is prosecuting the case, may seek a bench warrant for his arrest.
The charges, filed on November 27, 2025, by police prosecutor Wisdom Madaki, also involve two other defendants.
Among the witnesses expected to testify are the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede, Ituah Sylvester, officials of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
In an interview with Channels Television on Monday, Adeyemi denied going into hiding, insisting that he had stayed away from public appearances because of alleged threats to his life.
According to him, there had been several attempts on his life, stressing that he was not evading law enforcement agencies or investigations.
Adeyemi also repeated his claim that he borrowed N400 million, which he allegedly paid through an intermediary to secure his appointment as Director-General of the PFIPC. He further disclosed that those who lent him the money had reported him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Police investigations had earlier alleged that Adeyemi forged appointment letters and other official documents to present the PFIPC as a legitimate federal government agency.
According to investigators, the probe began after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on October 17, 2025, over the alleged circulation of forged appointment letters purportedly issued from the office.
The police said preliminary findings showed that the documents contained fake signatures, forged reference numbers, official seals and the Nigerian Coat of Arms, and were allegedly used to appoint individuals into the purported council.
Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja while presenting himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.
One of the individuals linked to the case, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, reportedly died in a hotel fire in Abuja.
Despite the allegations, Adeyemi has maintained that the PFIPC is a legitimate organisation. He has also called on President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent investigative panel to examine the controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion budget provision for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
In an open letter to the President, Adeyemi said he was willing to provide documentary evidence and cooperate fully with investigators if an independent panel comprising representatives of civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, media organisations, international financial institutions, human rights groups, diplomatic missions, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the EFCC was constituted.
He added that the death of Tanimola, whom he described as a key intermediary in the matter, further reinforced his decision to remain out of the public eye while awaiting an independent investigation.
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