Trial begins July 27 as prosecution lines up 11 witnesses over alleged forgery, impersonation and conspiracy.
The Federal Government has filed an eight-count criminal charge against Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is accused of posing as the Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, among 11 witnesses expected to testify during the trial.
The case, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, follows a police investigation into allegations of forgery, impersonation and conspiracy surrounding the operations of the alleged agency, which the Presidency has maintained does not exist.
The controversy began after Gbajabiamila issued a public disclaimer stating that neither the PFIPC nor Adeyemi’s purported appointment was recognised by the Federal Government.
Despite the Presidency’s position, investigators alleged that the disputed agency secured budgetary allocations, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), exchanged official correspondence with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, operated from office space within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and had civil servants deployed to work there.
Adeyemi has denied the allegations, insisting that his appointment was legitimate. He also claimed he was being targeted, stating that he had gone into hiding over fears for his safety.
Court documents indicate that the Federal Government has listed 11 witnesses for the trial scheduled to commence on July 27. Among them are Gbajabiamila, officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, civil servants attached to the disputed agency, a police officer, a hotel proprietor and a cleric.
According to the prosecution, Adeyemi allegedly operated from an office on the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.
Police said the investigation was initiated following a petition submitted by Gbajabiamila to the Inspector-General of Police on October 17, 2025, alleging forgery and impersonation. Adeyemi was subsequently arrested on October 27, 2025, after detectives executed search warrants at his office and residence in Suleja, Niger State.
Investigators alleged that during interrogation, Adeyemi claimed that one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in obtaining the appointment letter naming him Director-General of the PFIPC. However, police said Tanimola had died days earlier following injuries sustained in a fire incident at a hotel in Abuja.
The investigation reportedly involved interviews with the deceased’s relatives, the hotel proprietor, a cleric and civil servants attached to the office. Police also said they recovered official correspondence allegedly exchanged between Adeyemi and several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to investigators, 34 bank accounts allegedly linked to Adeyemi were uncovered, including nine reportedly opened in the names of organisations presented as government agencies.
The Federal Government subsequently filed charges against Adeyemi and two other suspects identified as Femi and Anu, who are currently at large.
The charges include conspiracy, forgery of official documents, including a presidential appointment letter, forged presidential letterheads, documents relating to the establishment of the PFIPC, requests for office accommodation, approvals for staff accounts and correspondence seeking collaboration with government institutions.
Adeyemi is also accused of falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution intends to rely on several documentary exhibits, including the police investigation report, Gbajabiamila’s petition, the alleged forged presidential appointment letter dated March 8, 2024, official correspondence with government agencies, account-opening documents, witness statements and photographic evidence.
If convicted, Adeyemi could face substantial prison terms under the relevant provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and the Penal Code. The allegations, however, remain before the court, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
