PFIPC: Adeyemi Pleads ‘Not Guilty’ As FG Takes Over Case
The Federal Government has formally taken over the prosecution of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the controversial Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), as he pleaded not guilty to all eight charges filed against him.
Adeyemi entered the plea on Wednesday before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja after the eight-count charge was read and explained to him.
When asked by the court whether he understood the charges, Adeyemi confirmed that he did before responding, “not guilty,” to each of the eight counts.
The charges border on alleged conspiracy, forgery and impersonation arising from documents purportedly issued by the State House and other government authorities.
Following the plea, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, who led the prosecution, told the court that Adeyemi was now due to face trial.
“In view of the not guilty plea by the defendant, he is due to have put himself for trial,” Oyedepo said.
Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, told the court that he was appearing in the matter on the directive of the Attorney-General of the Federation, signalling the formal takeover of the case by the Federal Government from the Nigeria Police Force, which originally instituted the charges.
The prosecution subsequently urged the court to order an accelerated trial, citing the high level of public interest generated by the case.
Oyedepo also asked the court to remand Adeyemi in prison custody pending the conclusion of the trial.
The request was immediately opposed by counsel to the defendant, Genesis Francis, who told the court that Adeyemi had already filed a bail application.
According to Francis, the bail application was filed on January 12 and served on the prosecution, which had also filed its response.
The development followed the Federal Government’s decision to take over the case from the police, which filed the eight-count charge against Adeyemi and two other suspects identified as Femi and Anu on November 27, 2025.
Politics Nigeria reports that the surnames of Femi and Anu were listed as “unknown” in the charge sheet, while both defendants were described as being at large.
The police accused the three defendants of conspiring to commit forgery and allegedly producing documents purporting to emanate from the State House.
Among the allegations is that they forged an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The police also accused Adeyemi and the other suspects of forging presidential letter-headed papers, a request for collaboration with a ministry over land requisition and offices across the 36 states, a request for office space and a request for approval of staff accounts status.
Another count alleges that Adeyemi, sometime between 2024 and 2025, falsely represented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the eighth count concerns an alleged forged conveyance approval relating to the take-off of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The case followed complaints over the activities of the purported agency. The presidency had said Gbajabiamila alerted the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force in October 2025 after receiving complaints about the purported agency.
It further alleged that forged appointment letters bearing Gbajabiamila’s signature, reference numbers and official seals were being used to legitimise the purported agency.
