Morganable Politics/Governance
The police said they would rely on a range of documentary evidence to establish the charges against the defendants
kaNo —
The Nigeria Police Force is set to arraign the embattled Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday over allegations of forgery, impersonation and related offences.
Adeyemi, alongside two other defendants, is facing an eight-count charge filed by the police in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025.
The charge, dated November 27, 2025, was instituted by police prosecutor Wisdom Madaki.
According to court documents, Adeyemi allegedly operated a fictitious government agency-the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) from an office located on the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja, prior to his arrest.
The case stems from a broader scandal that drew national attention after Bola Tinubu ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the purported agency within 30 days.
Presiding judge, Mohammed Umar, subsequently adjourned the case to allow for his arraignment at a later date.
The prosecution has listed several high-profile individuals and witnesses expected to testify during the trial.
Gbajabiamila Among Witnesses To Appear In Court
Among them is the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, whose petition dated October 17, 2025, forms part of the documentary evidence.
Other witnesses include Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede, and Ituah Sylvester, as well as civil servants in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, identified as Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, and a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Also listed are Ojo Victor, Omeh Amarachukwu and Wakili Saidu, individuals said to have been posted to work with Adeyemi at the non-existent agency, raising questions about how the alleged operation was able to function within official government structures.
Further witnesses include Joy Ngwoke, owner of Kachi Hotel in Abuja, and Ven Okoriko, a cleric at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, both of whom are expected to provide testimony relevant to the prosecution’s case.
Police Set To Present Documents
The police said they would rely on a range of documentary evidence to establish the charges against the defendants.
Additional documents include correspondence allegedly sent by Adeyemi to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting a note verbale, as well as approvals he reportedly obtained to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria and operate self-accounting procedures through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The prosecution also intends to tender documents relating to requests for collaboration with government ministries on land acquisition and office space across Nigeria’s 36 states, as well as statements from witnesses and defendants and photographic evidence.
“The prosecution shall at the trial call any other related witness or witnesses to prove its case,” the police stated in the charge sheet.
Meanwhile, the unfolding scandal has continued to generate political controversy, with opposition figures and parties criticising the National Assembly’s handling of the matter.
Several opposition leaders have faulted the Senate’s decision to shelve a proposed independent investigation into the alleged N1.3 billion budgetary allocation to the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Instead, the Senate opted to await the outcome of the investigation being conducted by the ICPC.
Critics argue that this approach is inadequate and undermines legislative accountability, insisting that the National Assembly has a constitutional responsibility to scrutinise how a non-existent agency was included in the national budget.
NDC Faults Senate Move To Shelve Probe
Speaking on the issue, the National Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Osa Director, described the situation as a major institutional scandal requiring urgent legislative scrutiny.
“Sincerely speaking, if the Senate wants to live up to its responsibility, it doesn’t need to be prodded to probe its mess because that’s a scandal that could result in the resignation of even the principal officers of the Senate, especially those who were involved in budgeting,” he said.
Director questioned how a purportedly fake agency could pass through the National Assembly’s vetting process and be included in the federal budget.
“If you say that it is a fake agency, how come it survives your vetting process? So, I am ashamed and disappointed that even the Senate had to be prodded to investigate,” he added.
“That is the contradiction we are talking about. The truth is that Nigerians are no fools. We all know what is going on. Some people are being shielded, and they are trying to cover it,” Director said.
The opposition party reiterated its earlier call for Gbajabiamila to step aside pending the outcome of investigations, arguing that such a move would demonstrate accountability and strengthen public trust.
“It is unfortunate how such elected public office holders have been abrogating their jobs, failing to do what they are elected to do. That is the biggest failure of the total system capture that has taken place under Tinubu,” he said.
Nwosu also expressed scepticism about the independence of anti-corruption agencies, suggesting that their actions are often contingent on directives from the executive arm of government.
“Obviously, nobody can act without Tinubu giving the directive. Even the ICPC and EFCC can’t do anything on their own. They will not act unless there is a direct instruction from the President,” he alleged.
He further questioned whether any meaningful accountability would emerge from the ongoing investigations, citing what he described as systemic challenges within the legislature, judiciary, and other government institutions.
The PFIPC scandal has raised broader concerns about transparency and oversight within Nigeria’s public financial management system, particularly regarding the appropriation process and the mechanisms in place to verify the legitimacy of government agencies included in the national budget.
The arraignment is expected to mark a critical step in unraveling the operations of the alleged fictitious agency and determining how it was able to function within official structures without detection for an extended period.
