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The Nigeria Police Force will arraign the Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, before the High Court in Abuja on Tuesday over allegations of forgery, impersonation and related offences.
According to court documents, Adeyemi and two others face an eight-count charge in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, filed on November 27, 2025, by police prosecutor Wisdom Madaki.
Investigators alleged that Adeyemi operated the non-existent agency from the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja, before his arrest.
The case was initially scheduled for June 16, but Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned proceedings after Adeyemi was reported to be ill and unable to take his plea.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the alleged fictitious agency within 30 days.
Court documents list several witnesses expected to testify, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede, Ituah Sylvester, officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and others allegedly assigned to the purported agency.
The prosecution also intends to tender documentary evidence, including the police investigation report, Gbajabiamila’s petition dated October 17, 2025, an alleged fake presidential appointment letter dated March 8, 2024, requests for diplomatic notes and approvals linked to the agency’s operations, witness statements and photographs.
The police stated that additional witnesses could be called during the trial if necessary.
Meanwhile, opposition political parties have criticised the Senate’s decision to suspend its own investigation into the controversial N1.3 billion allocation to the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The parties argued that while the ICPC investigation is necessary, the National Assembly also has a constitutional duty to explain how funds were appropriated for an agency the Presidency has described as non-existent.
Nigeria Democratic Congress National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, described the controversy as a major institutional scandal, insisting the Senate should independently investigate the appropriation process.
He also maintained the party’s position that the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, should temporarily step aside pending the outcome of investigations.
Former African Democratic Congress National Chairman Ralph Nwosu similarly criticised public institutions, alleging that oversight responsibilities had been neglected and warning that the controversy could further damage Nigeria’s international reputation.
The ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, called for an independent panel comprising respected Nigerians to investigate the matter, arguing that neither the Senate nor the ICPC alone would inspire sufficient public confidence.
Abdullahi also suggested that Gbajabiamila should voluntarily proceed on leave to ensure the integrity of the investigation, while emphasising that no conclusions should be reached until the probe is completed.
The Labour Party equally backed a legislative investigation, with its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, insisting that the Senate owes Nigerians an explanation for how the controversial allocation found its way into the national budget.
The controversy intensified after Senator Kawu Sumaila questioned how the PFIPC secured a budgetary allocation despite the Presidency’s position that the council has no legal existence.
Although Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin advised lawmakers to await the outcome of the ICPC investigation before launching a legislative inquiry, Sumaila insisted that the National Assembly must examine its own appropriation process to restore public confidence.
