The controversy surrounding the alleged operation of a non-existent federal agency took a dramatic turn on Tuesday after the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) arrested Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his arrest for failing to appear for arraignment.
The arrest marks the first major enforcement action since the Federal Government intensified investigations into the alleged establishment and operation of the disputed council, which the Presidency claims was never created by law and was allegedly sustained with forged official documents.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team (FIRT) from Abuja apprehended Adeyemi at his hideout in Osun State.
Ojelabi said in an interview, “It is confirmed. The Intelligence Response Team from Abuja arrested him here in Osun.”
Police sources indicated that Adeyemi is expected to be transferred to Abuja to face the criminal charges already filed against him.
His arrest came shortly after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granted an application by the prosecution and issued a bench warrant following his absence at Tuesday’s scheduled arraignment.
The court rejected arguments by defence counsel that Adeyemi stayed away because he feared for his safety, ruling instead that the defendant should be compelled to appear and answer the charges against him. The matter was subsequently adjourned until September 30 for arraignment.
The Nigeria Police had filed an eight-count charge accusing Adeyemi of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation in connection with the operation of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
Investigators alleged that he used forged government documents, including a purported appointment letter bearing the name of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to present himself as the head of a federal agency which the Presidency maintains does not exist.
Police also alleged that the disputed organisation operated from office space within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja while seeking official recognition from government institutions.
Tuesday’s arrest represents a sharp reversal from Adeyemi’s public position barely 24 hours earlier.
During an interview on Channels Television on Monday, he denied reports that he had gone into hiding, insisting that he remained available but feared for his life.
Alleging that there had been several attempts on his life, he said: “I’m ready to show my face. I’m not hiding. I’m only fearing for my life because I have it on good authority that my life is in danger.”
He also repeated his claim that he paid ₦400 million through an intermediary to secure his appointment as Director-General of the disputed council and called for an independent investigation into the controversy.
The Presidency has consistently rejected those claims and maintains that the council was never lawfully established.
The controversy has steadily expanded beyond a criminal investigation into broader questions about official documentation and institutional safeguards.
President Bola Tinubu recently directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate how the purported council allegedly acquired the appearance of legitimacy and whether any public officials or private individuals facilitated its operations.
Investigators have also been directed to examine allegations involving forged appointment letters, the use of false claims to obtain official recognition, and diplomatic support, as well as the opening of multiple bank accounts allegedly linked to the organisation.
If convicted, Adeyemi faces severe legal consequences.
The forgery-related counts carry prison terms of up to 21 years without the option of a fine, while the impersonation charge attracts a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment or a fine.
With Adeyemi now in police custody, attention is expected to shift from efforts to secure his appearance in court to the substantive prosecution of one of the most unusual alleged impersonation cases involving the Presidency in recent years.
For More Details, Visit PrimeTimes News