Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), has been arrested by the police following a bench warrant issued by a Federal High Court in Abuja over his failure to appear for arraignment.
Adeyemi was reportedly apprehended at his hideout in Osun State and is expected to be transferred to Abuja to face trial on charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery of official documents, impersonation and related offences.
Although the Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official statement on the arrest as of press time, the development followed Tuesday’s order by Justice Mohammed Umar after the defendant failed to appear before the court.
At the proceedings, prosecution counsel, Wisdom Madaki, informed the court that Adeyemi was absent and urged the court to continue proceedings in line with Section 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Counsel to the defendant, Genesis Francis, pleaded with the court to excuse his client’s absence, claiming that his life was under threat and that he had written to President Bola Tinubu on the matter.
Justice Umar, however, dismissed the explanation, responding: “The court would help him to be alive,” before issuing a warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest.
Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge alongside two other suspects, identified simply as Femi and Anu, who remain 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 case until September 30 for hearing.
The arraignment came earlier than the July 27 date previously announced by the Presidency following investigations that commenced in October 2025.
In a statement issued on July 1, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that the police filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices on November 27, 2025.
According to Onanuga, the criminal case originated from a petition submitted by Gbajabiamila on October 17, 2025, requesting the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from the Office of the Chief of Staff.
The presidential spokesman said police investigators subsequently arrested Adeyemi at an office he operated within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja on October 27, 2025.
He said searches conducted at both the office and Adeyemi’s residence in Suleja led to the recovery of several documents and other exhibits believed to be linked to the alleged offences.
According to Onanuga, Adeyemi told investigators that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the alleged fake appointment letter.
“The police searched the office and Adeyemi’s home in Suleja, recovering vital documents and exhibits. In Adeyemi’s statement to the police, he claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the fake appointment letter.
“Following his claim, the police went after the said Tanimola. The Police found that Tanimola died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja on 22 October, five days before Adeyemi’s arrest. Tanimola’s body was seen by the police at the morgue, confirming the death,” he said.
The Presidency said police investigations established that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council had no legal existence and that Adeyemi allegedly forged appointment documents and other official records to support his claim of being a presidential appointee.
“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 police also found that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts, with nine opened in the names of his fictitious agencies, known as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP), and the FCT Investment Promotion Act.”
Onanuga further disclosed that investigators found that Adeyemi allegedly used forged documents to open an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria after 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.”
Quoting from the police investigation report prepared by Assistant Commissioner of Police Kabir Mogaji, Onanuga said: “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.”
He added that Adeyemi was already on police administrative bail when he allegedly resurfaced in the media claiming that Gbajabiamila had appointed him as Director-General of the purported agency.
According to the Presidency, the claim directly contradicted the statement he made during police interrogation in November 2025 and prompted the Office of the Chief of Staff to issue a public disclaimer on June 8.