The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has directed that Adeniyi Adeyemi be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Center after he pleaded not guilty to an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation and conspiracy.
Adeyemi was accused by the federal government of impersonating the Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), an institution the prosecution said was fictional in the case.
“The case was taken over by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), and he was arraigned before Justice Mohammed Umar,” The Guardian reported.
The charge, with suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, was filed by the police on the 27th of November, 2025 against Adeyemi and two other suspects who are still at large.
Adeyemi and the other suspects conspired to counterfeit presidential appointment letters, State House documents and other official correspondence from 2024 to 2025, the prosecution added.
One of the charges is that Adeyemi fabricated an appointment letter, reportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by the then Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. Government:
He was also charged with fabricating presidential letterhead and papers relating to requests for collaboration with government institutions, land allocation, office accommodation, staff accounts and supposed take-off of the PFIPC.
He is also charged in a separate count with pretending to be the Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
He entered a plea of not guilty to all eight counts when they were read to him.
Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, for the prosecution, told the court that the defendant had joined issues with the prosecution and by his plea put himself up for trial.
Oyedepo prayed the court to put Adeyemi in prison, in view of the situation leading to his conduct prior to his arrest and trial.
However, counsel for the defence, Genesis Francis, told the court that the defendant had submitted a bail application which had been served on the prosecution and was ready for hearing.
In his ruling, Justice Umar directed that Adeyemi be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Center and adjourned the matter till October 12, 2026 for trial and hearing of the bail motion.
The defendant had previously missed his arraignment, causing a trial judge to order his arrest. Some 24 hours later he was detained.
Adeyemi ran the claimed agency from the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja before his detention, the accusation stated.
The federal government had already directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the activities of the alleged agency.
The prosecution identified some witnesses in the case. They are the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; Ituah Sylvester; and officers of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Other witnesses cited include a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Adamu Balongu; Ojo Victor, Omeh Amarachukwu and Wakili Saidu, said to have been deployed to work alongside Adeyemi at the alleged agency.
Also called as prosecution witnesses were Joy Ngwoke, owner of Kachi Hotel, Abuja and Ven Okoriko Pastor of St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama.
Documents prosecution stated it seeks to offer include the police investigation report, a petition by Gbajabiamila dated October 17, 2025 and a purported presidential appointment letter dated March 8, 2024.
Other documents are correspondence regarding a request for a note verbale to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alleged approvals for the opening of accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, a request for approval for self-accounting to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and an alleged approval for the take-off of the purported PFIPC. Geographical Reference
The prosecution also tendered in evidence, list of letters for coordination with relevant ministries on land acquisition and office accommodation in the 36 states, statement collected from witnesses and defendants and images.
The allegations stated that the acts were committed in Abuja and are punishable under the Miscellaneous acts Act and the Penal Code.
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