The police, on Tuesday, arrested the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi after Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered his arrest.
Justice Umar made the order following the failure of Adeyemi to appear before his court for arraignment on an eight-count criminal charge of alleged conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
The federal government is seeking the trial of the defendant accused of running a non-existing agency, PFIPC.
Although the court had fixed July 14 for his arraignment, however when the matter was called, the defendant was not in court for his arraignment, prompting the prosecution counsel, Wisdom Madaki, to make an oral application for his arrest.
But Adeyemi’s lawyer countered the request, explaining that his client feared for his life and had written a letter to President Bola Tinubu in respect of the matter.
Reacting, Justice Umar, who granted the request for the arrest of Adeyemi, assured that the court would help the defendant be alive for his trial.
He subsequently adjourned the case until September 30, for Adeyemi’s arraignment.
By the order, the police and other security agencies swung into action and arrested Adeyemi, who would be brought to court for arraignment on the next adjourned date.
Confirming the arrest to THISDAY on Tuesday in Abuja, a highly placed source at Louis Edet House said, “We have just confirmed the arrest of Mr. Adeniyi Adeyemi by a team of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Osun State.”
The arrest was further corroborated by a trending video that surfaced hours after the Federal High Court in Abuja issued the bench warrant.
According to the police in their earlier submission, Adeyemi had operated the fictitious agency from the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja, before his arrest.
In the eight-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, filed on November 27, 2025, Adeyemi and two others said to be at large, were alleged to have conspired and forged several official documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter, State House letterheads, a conveyance approval for the take-off of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), requests for approval of staff accounts, requests for office space and letters seeking collaboration with a federal ministry.
In count five, the prosecution alleged that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the DG of the PFIPC, an offence punishable under Section 179 of the Penal Code.
Chuks Okocha, Alex Enumah and Linus Aleke
