What police, charges say about Adeyemi as govt lists Gbajabiamila, 10 others as witnesses

Mr Adeyemi is looking at up to 21 years without an option of fine for each of the charges in counts one, two, three, four, six, and up to three years with an option of fine in count six.

PREMIUM TIMES has obtained the court documents listing the charges that the Nigerian government filed against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the disowned director-general of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

This newspaper has also obtained details of a police investigative report that predated the lawsuit, as well as a list of witnesses and exhibits that the Nigerian government tendered before the court.

The presidency had said on Wednesday that Mr Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja. 

The announcement came two weeks after the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, issued a statement disclaiming Mr Adeyemi and the agency, saying such an office doesn’t exist under the current administration and that the government never made the appointment. 

The disclaimer and the unfolding allegations by Mr Adeyemi that he was duly appointed has intensified the controversy, leavng Nigerians wondering how a non-existent agency got budgetary allocation, opened account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), exchanged several correspondence with office of the Accountant General of the Federation, secured office spaces at the federal secretariat and had at least three senior civil servants deployed to work at the office.

When he spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, Mr Adeniyi insisted that he had done nothing wrong and that the presidency was only trying to silence him. He refused to answer further questions.

“My lawyers are working on something. Whatever they say, I will let you know,” he told this newspaper.

“They are now after my life. I have gone into hiding. I’m underground.”

As Nigerians await how the allegations will unfold in court, PREMIUM TIMES can now report that the government has lined up 11 witnesses to testify against Mr Adeyemi in the matter, which is coming up for hearing later this month, on 27 July.

The witness list, according to filings obtained by this newspaper, includes Mr Gbajabiamila, civil servants posted to work with Mr Adeyemi, officials from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Proprietress of an Abuja hotel, a pastor and a police officer.

PREMIUM TIMES visited the federal secretariat on Wednesday, but couldn’t locate the exact space from which he operated.

But court documents seen by this newspaper revealed that Mr Adeyemi operated the agency from the 2nd Floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, Phase III. 

What the police found

The charges against Mr Adeyemi followed an investigation by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit, which conducted its investigation and arrests between 23 October and 13 November, 2025. The unit forwarded the investigation report to the IGP on 13 November, 2025, according to a report seen by this newspaper.

According to the police investigation report, Mr Gbajabiamila reported the case, alleging ‘forgery and impersonation’, to the IGP in a letter dated 17 October 2025. On 23 October 2025, the IGP assigned the IGP monitoring unit to conduct a discreet investigation into the matter.

On 27 October 2025, the police apprehended Mr Adeyemi from the office where he operated at the federal secretariat and obtained a search warrant for the office and this residence in Suleja, Niger State. Suleja is a community neighbouring the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where many Abuja workers live.

“In his statement, the suspect alleged that one Mr Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him in procuring the purported fake appointment letter bearing the title Director-General, Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council,” reads part of the police interim investigation report.

However, the police found that the said Mr Tanimola died on admission at the National Hospital on 22 October 2025, following a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Abuja.

The investigators said they visited the morgue and the St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, where the burial arrangements were said to have been made. 

The investigators questioned Mr Tanimola’s sister, the hotel’s proprietor, Joy Ngwoke, and the pastor at St Matthew’s Church, Ven Okoriko.

On 10 November, 2025, they also interviewed the three staff members posted to Mr Adeyemi’s office.

The investigators also recovered several correspondence transmitted between Mr Adeyemi and various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Investigators also traced 34 bank accounts to Mr Adeyemi, including nine accounts opened in the name of “purported government agencies known as FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership FIPA-APP and FCT Investment Promotion Act.”

The investigators, however, said they have not taken the complainant’s statement from Mr Gbajabiamila or his representatives. 

“Similarly, specimen signatures are yet to be obtained for forensic comparison and analysis,” it said.

Inside the charges 

On 27 November 2025, the Nigerian government filed an eight-count charge against Mr Adeyemi through police prosecutor, Wisdom Madaki.

In count one, two, three, four, six, seven and eight, the government accused Mr Adeyemi and two others who are at large —one Femi and Anu— of conspiring to commit a felony and forgery of documents, including a presidential appointment letter, presidential letter headed papers, conveyance approval for take-off of the PFIPC, request for approval of staff accounts, request for office space and letters of request for collaboration with a ministry.

In count five, the government said he “falsely personates as the Director General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 179 of the Penal Code.”

Mr Adeyemi is looking at up to 21 years without an option of a fine for each of the charges in counts one, two, three, four, and six, and up to three years with an option of a fine in count six.

Section 1(2)(c) of Miscellaneous Offences Act states that: “Any person who makes or utters any forged document, cheque, promissory note or other negotiable instrument, knowing it to be false or with intent that it may in any way be used or acted upon as genuine, whether in Nigeria or elsewhere to the prejudice of any person or with intent that any person may, in the belief that it is genuine, be induced to do or refrain from doing any act or thing, whether in Nigeria or elsewhere, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 21 years without the option of a fine.”

Witnesses

The witnesses to testify for the federal government are Mr Gbajabiamila, Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede, Ituah Sylvester, all civil servants working in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation; another civil servant, Akimbo Shola and police officer Adamu Balongu, a deputy superintendent of police.

Also listed as witnesses are Ojo Victor, Omeh Amarachukwu, and Wakili Saidu, all of whom were posted to work with Mr Adeyemi at the non-existent agency. 

Others are: Joy Ngwoke, the owner of Kachi Hotel in Abuja, and Ven Okoriko, the pastor of St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama.

Exhibits

The pieces of evidence tendered by the police include the police investigation report, Mr Gbajabiamila’s petition dated 17 October 2025; Mr Adeyemi’s fake presidential appointment letter dated 8 March 2024; the request for a note verbally Mr Adeyemi sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the approvals he got to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Other documents listed by the government prosecutor are: Request for approval of self accounting he sent to the Account General of the Federation, the conveyance of approval for take off of the PFIPC, a letter of request for collaboration with the Ministry in the area of land acquisition and offices across the 36 states of the federation; statements of all the witnesses and that of the defendats, and pictures.

“Take further notice that the prosecution shall at the trial call any other related witness or witnesses to provide its case,” the prosecutor wrote.