Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The scheduled arraignment of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), was stalled on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, after he failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Adeyemi, who is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation, and related offences connected to the PFIPC scandal, was expected to take his plea before Justice Mohammed Umar. However, proceedings could not go ahead due to his absence.
When court proceedings commenced before Justice Mohammed Umar on Tuesday morning, Adeyemi was not present in the courtroom. By mid-day, the defendant had yet to arrive, despite his case being listed for hearing. Although criminal defendants are expected to be present in court when proceedings begin, Adeyemi's legal representatives were in attendance, with two members of his defence team announcing their appearance and indicating they were ready to represent him. His case is number 12 on the court's cause list for the day, but parties to cases listed for hearing are expected to be in court by 9 a.m., as the judge does not have to follow the order in which cases appear on the cause list. The judge commenced the day's sitting with the hearing of a pre-election case at about 10 a.m. and was on the third case as of the time of filing this report at about 12:50 p.m., yet Adeyemi had yet to show up in the courtroom.
The case has attracted significant public attention following the Federal Government's insistence that the PFIPC is not a recognised government agency. Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge filed by the Nigerian Police on 27 November 2025, with the prosecution alleging that Adeyemi and two other individuals said to be at large forged several government documents connected to the purported PFIPC, including a presidential appointment letter, official State House letterheads, requests relating to office allocation, staff account approvals and correspondence seeking collaboration with government institutions. In Count 5, the prosecution alleged that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC, an offence punishable under Section 179 of the Penal Code. If convicted, Adeyemi faces up to 21 years in prison without the option of a fine on the forgery-related counts, while the impersonation charge carries a maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment or a fine.
Ahead of the hearing, Adeyemi had raised concerns about his safety and called for an independent investigation into the matter. In an interview on a television programme, he said from his hideout that his life is at risk and claimed there had been repeated attempts on his life since the controversy surrounding the PFIPC broke. He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to constitute an independent investigative panel to probe both the alleged fraud and the reported assassination attempts against him. He said: "Definitely, I am ready to face an investigation panel. I am not hiding. I'm only afraid for my life. I have it on good authority that my life is in danger. There have been several attempts on my life since this news broke. I have intelligence reports that someone is trying to kill me."
The PFIPC has been described by authorities as a non-existent agency allegedly created through forged documents. Investigators claim the organisation, purportedly established by Adeyemi, fraudulently secured office space within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and was included in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budgetary allocation of N1.3 billion, although government officials maintain that no public funds were released before the alleged fraud was uncovered. The controversy became public after Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila disowned Adeyemi and the PFIPC, with the Presidency maintaining that no such agency existed under President Bola Tinubu's administration and that Adeyemi was never appointed to head it. Police investigations began after Gbajabiamila petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and the State Security Service on 17 October 2025, alleging forgery.
Court records show that the case has suffered multiple delays since it was first scheduled for arraignment earlier this year, with previous adjournments granted following applications by the defence, including requests linked to health concerns and preparation for trial. The court is expected to determine the next course of action as the case progresses. The case is also billed to return to court on 27 July 2026, according to the Presidency. As the legal battle continues, the question remains: where is Adeyemi, and will he ever face the charges against him?
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