The arraignment of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of creating and operating the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), has suffered repeated delays since police filed charges against him in November 2025, with court records showing that defence requests for adjournments, court scheduling issues and claims of ill health have stalled proceedings.
According to repor, Adeyemi was arrested by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit on 27 October 2025 and remained in detention for 23 days before he was granted administrative bail on 19 November.
Police records reviewed by the newspaper indicate that he was released after submitting a medical report in support of his bail application. A police source as quoted by Premium Times said that Adeyemi's health condition influenced the decision to grant him bail.
"He got ill in police custody and was having an enlarged liver," the source said.
The police subsequently filed charges against Adeyemi at the Federal High Court in Abuja on 27 November 2025.
The case first came up for arraignment before Justice Mohammed Umar on 3 February 2026. During the proceedings, the prosecution informed the court that it was ready to proceed, but the defence sought more time, arguing that it had only recently been served with the charge.
The prosecution opposed the request, insisting that the charge had been served about two weeks earlier. However, the court granted the defence's application and adjourned the matter until 11 February.
The case did not proceed on the adjourned date because Justice Umar was attending a judicial workshop, prompting another postponement. Both parties later agreed on a fresh hearing date of 14 April.
When the matter was called on 14 April, Adeyemi was absent. His lawyer presented a letter informing the court that the defendant was ill and unable to attend the proceedings. Despite objections from the prosecution, the court adjourned the case to 16 June.
Adeyemi appeared in court on the new date alongside his lawyer, while the prosecution again declared its readiness to proceed with the arraignment. However, the defence requested another adjournment, informing the court that counsel was unwell and unable to continue with the matter. The court granted the application and fixed 14 July for the next hearing.
According to the police investigation report cited by *Premium Times*, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) on 17 October 2025 over allegations of forgery and impersonation.
In the petition, Gbajabiamila accused Adeyemi of "forgery and impersonation" and urged security agencies to investigate the matter.
Following the petition, the IGP assigned the Monitoring Unit to conduct a discreet investigation. Adeyemi was arrested on 27 October 2025 at the office where he allegedly operated within the Federal Secretariat. Police also executed search warrants at the office and his residence in Suleja, Niger State.
Investigators reportedly recovered several documents, including correspondence exchanged between Adeyemi and various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The investigation also traced 34 bank accounts allegedly linked to Adeyemi, including nine accounts said to have been opened in the names of entities described as purported government agencies, including the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership FIPA-APP.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the alleged fake agency and submit its findings within 30 days. The presidential directive is separate from the criminal proceedings already before the Federal High Court, where the case is expected to resume on 14 July.
