PFIPC Controversy: Court Remands Adeyemi Over Alleged Forgery, Fraud

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who has been presenting himself as Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), has been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on an eight-count charge of alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation.

Adeyemi was arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Mohammed Umar after spending more than two months in detention.

He was arrested on July 14 following a bench warrant issued by the court.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Umar ordered that Adeyemi be remanded at Kuje Prison and adjourned the matter until October 12 for the commencement of the full hearing.

The case is now being prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, which has taken over from the police.

The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, is leading the prosecution, which has requested an accelerated hearing.

Adeyemi’s lawyer, Mr Genesis Francis, unsuccessfully sought to have the court consider his client’s bail application immediately.

Francis told the court that Adeyemi was suffering from a contagious ailment and had a medical appointment scheduled for Friday.

The prosecution opposed the application, maintaining that adequate government medical facilities were available to attend to the defendant.

The judge ruled that the bail application would be considered on the next adjourned date.

The prosecution has listed several witnesses it intends to call, including President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.

Also expected to testify are OAGF officials Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The allegations against Adeyemi centre on the disputed PFIPC, which police investigators described as a “non-existent” federal government agency.

Before his arrest, Adeyemi spoke to Channels Television from a hideout, saying he stayed away from public view because of threats to his life.

He rejected suggestions that he had gone into hiding to evade law enforcement authorities investigating the PFIPC allegations.

Adeyemi also repeated his claim that he paid N400 million through a proxy to Gbajabiamila to secure his appointment as Director-General of the disputed council.

He said those who provided the money had subsequently taken the matter to the EFCC.

An interim police investigation report alleged that Adeyemi forged appointment letters and other official documents to give the impression that the PFIPC was a legitimate federal government institution.

According to the police, the investigation began after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on October 17, 2025.

The petition concerned the alleged forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from the Office of the Chief of Staff.

Police said preliminary findings indicated that some of the documents carried falsified signatures, reference numbers, official seals and the Nigerian Coat of Arms.

The documents were allegedly used to appoint people into the disputed council.

Adeyemi was named as the principal suspect and was accused of acting as the PFIPC’s Director-General while operating from an office located within the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.

Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, who was allegedly linked to the matter, was said to have died in a hotel fire in Abuja.

Adeyemi has denied the allegation that the PFIPC was non-existent.

He has also demanded the establishment of an independent, multi-stakeholder panel to investigate the controversy surrounding an alleged N1.3 billion budget provision for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

In an open letter to President Tinubu, Adeyemi said he would provide documentary evidence and cooperate with any investigation conducted by an independent panel.

He proposed that the panel comprise representatives of civil society organisations, the NBA, independent media organisations, international financial institutions, human rights groups and diplomatic missions, in addition to the ICPC and EFCC.

Adeyemi said the death of Tanimola, whom he described as a key intermediary, further influenced his decision to remain away from public view.

Two of the allegations contained in the charge relate to the purported forgery of presidential letter-headed papers and a request for collaboration with the Ministry on land requisition and office facilities across the 36 states.

One of the counts states:

“That you, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, ‘M’, 38 years of age, of 2nd Floor, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, Femi (surname unknown), and Anu (surname unknown), now at large, on or about the 8th day of March 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, forged presidential letter-headed papers, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.”

Another count states:

“That you, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, ‘M’, 38 years of age, of 2nd Floor, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, Femi (surname unknown), and Anu (surname unknown), now at large, on or about the 8th day of March 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, forged a request for collaboration with the Ministry in the area of land requisition and offices across the 36 states of the Federation, purportedly issued from the State House, Abuja, Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.”

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