Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of creating and operating a purported government agency, has finally appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja for arraignment. He was led into the courtroom on Wednesday at about 2:33 p.m. by a female police officer. Adeyemi was dressed in a white long, flowing dress and a white baseball cap, and he kept his head lowered as he waited for his case to be called. His appearance comes after several failed attempts to bring him before the court.
The case against Adeyemi was filed in November 2025, following his arrest by the police in October that year. The police charged Adeyemi and two others, identified as Femi and Anu, who are said to be at large. They face eight counts of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation. The prosecution alleges that Adeyemi and the two other defendants conspired to forge several official documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter and State House letterheads.
According to the prosecution, Adeyemi and the two other defendants conspired to forge documents related to the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). They are also accused of falsely presenting themselves as officials of the PFIPC. Adeyemi has denied the allegations. Police investigators recovered correspondence between the purported agency and several government institutions and traced 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi.
The police investigation revealed that Adeyemi opened nine bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies. On 14 July, after Adeyemi failed to appear for another scheduled arraignment, Judge Umar issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Police arrested him less than 12 hours after the order, confirming the arrest to PREMIUM TIMES through police spokesperson Anietie Iniedu.
The police said Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State by the Intelligence Response Team from Abuja after he was traced to a hideout there. He has remained in police custody since then, pending the arraignment. Judge Umar had issued the warrant after Adeyemi’s lawyer, Genesis Francis, told the court that his client had failed to appear because he feared for his life.
According to Genesis Francis, Adeyemi had written an open letter to President Tinubu, expressing his fear for his life. However, Adeyemi appeared cheerful in court, despite keeping his head lowered. His case was listed for arraignment on 3 February, but the proceedings did not come up due to various reasons, including requests by his lawyers and the judge’s official engagement elsewhere.
The arraignment of Adeyemi marks a significant development in the fake agency scandal. The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, had petitioned the police to investigate Adeyemi. The police charged Adeyemi with serious offences, and the court will now determine his fate.
Key points
- Adeyemi faces eight counts of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation.
- The police investigation revealed 34 bank accounts linked to Adeyemi.
- Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State and has remained in police custody since then.
