FEATURES
BREAKING: Abuja Court Orders Arrest of Alleged Fake Presidential Council DG Adeniyi Adeyemi
A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly paraded himself as the Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), after he failed to appear for arraignment.
Justice Mohammed Umar ordered Adeyemi’s arrest on Tuesday following his second consecutive absence from court. The defendant had previously informed the court that he was ill, but no reason was provided for his failure to appear at the latest hearing.
The Nigeria Police Force is prosecuting Adeyemi on charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and other related offences.
According to the prosecution, Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an organisation the Federal Government maintains does not exist. Authorities also insist that President Bola Tinubu never appointed him to any such position.
When the case was called, prosecuting counsel, Wisdom Madaki, informed the court that the defendant had been duly served with the court summons but failed to appear. He urged the court to issue a bench warrant to compel Adeyemi’s attendance at the next hearing.
Counsel to the defendant, Genesis Francis, told the court that his client feared for his safety and had written an open letter to President Tinubu seeking protection.
In his ruling, Justice Umar assured the defence that the court would guarantee the defendant’s safety to enable him stand trial. He subsequently granted the prosecution’s application and ordered security agencies to arrest Adeyemi and produce him before the court.
The case was adjourned until September 30 for arraignment.
The prosecution follows a police investigation into allegations that Adeyemi unlawfully assumed the identity and office of the Director-General of the purported PFIPC, allegedly performing official functions and making public representations without lawful authority.
The case has drawn public attention amid concerns over impersonation of government institutions and efforts to safeguard the integrity of public offices.
Earlier, President Bola Tinubu directed relevant investigative agencies to probe the activities of the purported council as part of measures to strengthen transparency, accountability and public trust in government institutions.