ADENIYI Adeyemi, who has identified himself as the Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), has pleaded not guilty to an eight-count charge of alleged forgery and impersonation.
Adeyemi entered the plea on Wednesday, September 30, before Mohammed Umar, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
His arraignment follows months of legal proceedings and attempts by the police to bring him before the court.
The charges, filed by the Nigeria Police Force, relate to allegations that Adeyemi and two others, identified as Femi and Anu, forged official documents to give legitimacy to the disputed council.
The two other defendants are said to be at large.
The prosecution alleged that Adeyemi and his co-defendants forged an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and bearing the signature of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
They are also accused of forging presidential letterhead and other documents that purportedly originated from the State House.
Other allegations relate to purported requests for collaboration with a federal ministry, allocation of land and office space in states across the country, approval of staff accounts, and a document relating to the purported re-establishment of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/PFIPC.
In another count, the police accused Adeyemi of falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC between 2024 and 2025.
The forgery-related allegations were brought under the Miscellaneous Offences Act, while the impersonation allegation was filed under Section 179 of the Penal Code.
Adeyemi has denied the allegations.
How controversy started
The criminal case followed a dispute over the existence of the PFIPC, which became public in July after the Presidency disowned the organisation and described it as fictitious.
The Presidency also accused Adeyemi of impersonating a government official and using forged documents to create the appearance that the organisation was an authorised federal agency.
However, The ICIR reported that the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of about ₦1.3 billion.
The allocation comprised about ₦802.9 million for personnel, ₦200 million for overheads and ₦300 million for capital expenditure.
The discovery raised questions about how an organisation the Presidency later said did not exist could appear in the federal budget.
The ICIR also reported that the purported council had interacted with several government institutions before the controversy, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and Raw Materials Research and Development Council.
Adeyemi subsequently challenged the government’s account of the organisation, insisting that it operated openly and had interacted with government institutions.
Tinubu orders probe
Following the controversy, President Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities surrounding the purported agency.
The ICPC later said its investigation established that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government or any government authority and that the PFIPC was not created by law, executive order or another valid government instrument.
The commission also said documents allegedly used to support the existence of the organisation, including an appointment letter and gazette, were forged.
It recommended prosecution of Adeyemi and sanctions against public officials allegedly involved in the matter.
The ICPC said its investigation also uncovered evidence of alleged impersonation and false representation in the name of the purported agency.
Court orders Adeyemi’s arrest
Adeyemi’s arraignment had been delayed on several occasions.
On July 14, the judge, (Mohammed Umar) issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court for a scheduled arraignment.
His lawyer, Genesis Francis, told the court that Adeyemi was absent because he feared for his life and had written an open letter to Tinubu.
The judge subsequently ordered security agencies to arrest and produce the accused before the court. The ICIR reported that he was later arrested in Osun State by police operatives.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M