Self-styled PFIPC boss Adeniyi Adeyemi picked up by IRT over forgery, impersonation charges
The Nigeria Police Force arrested Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, in an Osun hideout on Tuesday. The arrest followed a bench warrant issued by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, after Adeyemi failed to appear for his arraignment on an eight-count charge related to conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation.
The matter, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, was called without the defendant. Prosecuting counsel, Wisdom Madaki, made an oral application for a bench warrant, which the judge granted despite opposition from Adeyemi’s lawyer, Genesis Francis. Francis told the court his client feared for his life and had written to President Bola Tinubu. Justice Umar replied, “The court will help him be alive,” and adjourned the case to September 30, 2026, for arraignment. The Personal Assistant to the Force PRO, Aminu Koji, later confirmed the arrest by the Intelligence Response Team.
We gathered that Adeyemi had been trailed for over a week, first by the DSS and later by the IRT led by CSP Moses Lohor. He was said to have switched off his phones for two days before operatives moved in on Tuesday morning in Osun, moved him to Ibadan, and then to Abuja. The police charge sheet, filed November 27, 2025, accuses Adeyemi and two others, Femi and Anu, of forging documents including a purported presidential appointment letter signed by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, State House letterheads, and approvals for the non-existent PFIPC. Count Five accuses him of falsely presenting himself as DG of the council.
Adeyemi’s absence came a day after he released an open letter alleging threats to his life and asking President Tinubu to guarantee his safety. He claimed surrendering would be “signing his own death warrant” and cited the death of an alleged intermediary, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola. Tinubu had earlier directed the ICPC to conduct a special investigation into the PFIPC controversy, with the Presidency repeatedly stating that the council does not exist.
NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), said the ICPC probe could lead to more persons being invited if evidence warrants. “The law does not deal with speculation. As of today, he is the only person charged in court,” he noted, adding that the court acted rightly in issuing the warrant. Senior Advocate, Prof. Sam Erugo, said the police ought to invite Gbajabiamila for questioning but acknowledged the political realities. “As long as he’s there, it’s very difficult for the police… If the President decides to suspend him and tell him to go and face investigation,” Erugo stated.
If convicted on the forgery-related counts, Adeyemi faces up to 21 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine, while the impersonation charge carries up to three years or a fine. With the bench warrant executed and the defendant now in custody, all eyes are on the September 30 arraignment as investigators determine whether the case extends beyond Adeyemi to other names mentioned in the alleged fake agency scandal.
