Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The warrant was issued after Adeyemi failed to appear in court to take his plea in an eight-count criminal case brought against him by the Nigeria Police Force. The charges centre on allegations of forgery, impersonation, and related offences.

Adeyemi’s counsel, Genesis Francis, informed the court that his client fears for his life and has expressed concerns in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu that has since gone viral. Francis noted the surprise at how the matter has gained national attention.

Prosecutor Wisdom Madaki, however, told the court that this marked the fifth time the defendant had evaded trial, describing the repeated absences as unacceptable. Madaki argued that all five adjournments were at the instance of the defence and urged the court to issue a bench warrant under Section 349 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

Justice Umar agreed with the prosecution, stating that since the case began on December 4, 2025, the defendant had only appeared once and failed to show up for more than four consecutive adjournments.

“The defendant had showed up only once, thereafter he has failed to show up in more than four consecutive adjournments. For this reason I will accede to the application of the prosecution and issue a bench warrant against the defendant,” the judge ruled.

The court ordered that the bench warrant be served on Adeyemi and that he be produced in court on September 30 for possible arraignment.

Background of the Case

Adeyemi is accused of fraudulently securing office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, opening multiple bank accounts, and obtaining a ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 budget, despite the Presidency publicly disowning the purported council.

Investigations reportedly revealed forged appointment letters allegedly signed by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, along with other forged documents. Adeyemi was previously arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in June 2026 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

He is standing trial alongside two co-defendants, Femi and Anu (both surnames unknown), who are currently at large.

The Charges

The eight-count charge includes:

• Count One: Conspiracy to commit felony (forgery) punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
• Count Two: Forgery of an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and signed by Femi Gbajabiamila.
• Count Three: Forgery of Presidential letter-headed papers.
• Count Four: Forgery of a request for collaboration and land requisition across Nigeria’s 36 states.
• Count Five: False impersonation as Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, punishable under Section 179 of the Penal Code.
• Counts Six to Eight: Additional counts of forgery involving requests for office space, staff account approvals, and conveyance approval for the take-off of the purported council.

The case continues to attract significant public interest due to the audacious nature of the alleged impersonation of high-level government structures.