The Nigeria Police Force has apprehended Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled “Director-General” of the controversial and disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) Okokon Iniedu confirmed the arrest, stating that a team from the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) tracked down and detained Adeyemi in Osun State.
A brief video released alongside the announcement showed police operatives questioning the suspect immediately after his arrest.
Why was Adeniyi Adeyemi Arrested?
Adeyemi’s arrest follows his failure to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment, prompting a federal judge to issue a bench warrant.
Justice Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered security agencies to locate, arrest, and present the defendant in court on September 30 to face trial. The warrant was issued following an oral application by police prosecutor Wisdom Madaki.
Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge centred on:
Forgery
Impersonation
Financial fraud
Details of forgery allegations against Adeniyi Adeyemi
At the heart of the federal government’s case are allegations of high-profile forgery aimed at legitimising a non-existent government body. According to the charges, Adeyemi:
Forged a Presidential Appointment Letter: The suspect allegedly forged an appointment letter claiming to be from President Bola Tinubu, featuring a falsified signature of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Fabricated Official Documents: He is accused of counterfeiting official Presidential letterhead bearing the date March 8, 2024.
Falsified Office Space Requests: The prosecution alleges that Adeyemi forged documents requesting land allocations and office spaces across all 36 states, falsely claiming the requests originated from the State House in Abuja.
The origin of the PFIPC controversy
Before his arrest, Adeyemi actively paraded himself as the head of the PFIPC, sharing photos of himself alongside prominent Nigerian figures on social media. He even went as far as claiming he paid money to Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to secure the position.
The Presidency swiftly debunked these claims, issuing a strongly worded disclaimer denying the existence of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
In his defence during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Adeyemi argued that the council was legitimate, citing its inclusion in the 2026 national budget. He also alleged that his life was being threatened but welcomed a legal battle.
“Let the court take its course… let the court of competent jurisdiction do what they need to,” Adeyemi stated.
Following the initial outbreak of the scandal, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to launch a comprehensive investigation into the matter, culminating in the current criminal prosecution.
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