A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), after he failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment.
Justice Mohammed Umar issued the order on Tuesday following an application by the prosecution counsel, Wisdom Madaki, who informed the court that the defendant was absent despite being expected to take his plea.
Counsel to Adeyemi urged the court to excuse his client’s absence, claiming his life was under threat and that he had written to President Bola Tinubu on the matter.
Responding, Justice Umar dismissed the explanation, saying, “The court would help him to be alive,” before issuing a warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest.
Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery of official documents, impersonation and related offences. He was charged alongside two other defendants, identified simply as Femi and Anu, who are currently at large.
Among those listed as prosecution witnesses 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 (OAGF), Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu; as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The court adjourned the matter until September 30 for hearing.
The case stems from allegations that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the head of a non-existent federal agency using forged presidential appointment documents.
The Presidency had earlier announced that the defendant would be arraigned on July 27, following police investigations that began in October 2025. However, the matter came up before the court on Tuesday.
In a statement issued on July 1, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the criminal charges were filed after a petition by Gbajabiamila, who alerted security agencies to the activities of individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.
According to Onanuga, the Chief of Staff petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force on October 17, 2025, requesting an investigation into “fraudsters and imposters” allegedly using forged presidential documents.
He said police investigators arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025, at an office he operated within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
Onanuga said searches conducted at the office and Adeyemi’s residence in Suleja led to the recovery of several documents and other exhibits.
According to the presidential spokesman, Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola helped him obtain the alleged fake appointment letter.
“The police went after the said Tanimola. The Police found that Tanimola died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on October 22, five days before Adeyemi’s arrest. Tanimola’s body was seen by the police at the morgue, confirming the death,” Onanuga stated.
He further said investigators established that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council did not exist as a government agency and that Adeyemi allegedly forged appointment letters and other official documents to support his claims.
“The police were able to establish that the agency Adeyemi purportedly headed was fictitious, that he forged his appointment letter and the documents recovered in his office and home, that he falsely paraded himself as a government appointee, and that he falsely solicited a note verbal from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to enable him and his staff to obtain US visas,” the statement said.
According to Onanuga, investigators also discovered that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of fictitious government agencies.
He added that the suspect allegedly used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria by misleading officials of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
“The Police found that Adeyemi, using the fake documents he created, fraudulently opened a CBN account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. According to the police, no government money has been transferred into the account,” he said.
Quoting from the police investigation report, Onanuga added: “The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community.”
The Presidency also disclosed that Adeyemi was already on police administrative bail when he allegedly resurfaced in the media claiming that Gbajabiamila had appointed him Director-General of the purported agency—a claim it said contradicted the statement he made to investigators during interrogation and prompted an official disclaimer from the Office of the Chief of Staff.