The arraignment of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of creating and operating the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), has been delayed several times since criminal charges were filed against him in November 2025.
Court records show that the case, before the Federal High Court in Abuja, has suffered repeated adjournments due to defence requests, court scheduling issues and claims of ill health by the defendant.
According to documents reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, Adeyemi was arrested by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit on October 27, 2025, and remained in custody for 23 days before being granted administrative bail on health grounds after submitting a medical report. Police sources said he reportedly developed health complications while in detention.
The police filed charges against Adeyemi on November 27, 2025, accusing him of offences linked to the alleged operation of the PFIPC. The case first came up for arraignment on February 3, 2026, but was adjourned after the defence requested additional time, saying it had only recently received the charge sheet.
Subsequent hearing dates were also unsuccessful. One was postponed because the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, was attending a judicial workshop, while another was adjourned after Adeyemi was absent from court due to reported ill health. A later sitting was again delayed after his lawyer informed the court that he was medically unfit to proceed. The matter is now expected to continue on July 14, 2026.
The controversy deepened on Tuesday when President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged PFIPC scandal and submit its findings within 30 days.
According to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the Federal Government maintains that the PFIPC does not exist under any law, executive approval or official government instrument. The Presidency alleged that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the council’s Director-General, used forged appointment documents, sought official recognition and diplomatic support, and opened multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies.
Investigators are also expected to examine forged government documents, the movement of funds linked to the alleged scheme, and whether any public officials, financial institutions or private individuals facilitated its operations.
Adeyemi has denied wrongdoing, insisting he was lawfully appointed and claiming the PFIPC is referenced in the 2026 Appropriation Act. He has also accused the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, of demanding money in connection with his appointment—allegations the Presidency has rejected as false.
Gbajabiamila has since threatened a ₦10 billion defamation lawsuit against Adeyemi, demanding a public retraction and apology over what his legal team described as baseless and defamatory allegations. As the legal and criminal investigations continue, none of the allegations by either side has been determined by a court.
