PFIPC: ICPC Arraigns Adeyemi For Alleged Forgery, Impersonation

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Adeniyi Adeyemi, the director-general of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), alleged to be fake, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

The ICPC charged Adeyemi with 22 counts of alleged forgery and impersonation.

The ICPC alleged that about March 8, 2024, in Abuja, the defendant forged a document, a letter referenced SH/COS/209/A/3456, purportedly signed/issued by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, appointing him as the director-general of the PFIPC.

The prosecution said this is punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Cap. 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990.

The ICPC also alleged that the forged document was presented by the defendant to obtain government recognition and legitimacy for the purpose of carrying out his fraudulent activities.

Counsel for the ICPC, Fatima Bardi, prayed the court to fix a date for the prosecution to open its case against Adeyemi.

Counsel for the defendant, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, prayed the court for bail in the form of an oral application.
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The trial judge, Justice Halilu Yusuf, however, directed Angulu to file a written bail application

Angulu consented but informed the court that Adeyemi had spent 155 days in detention and had some health concerns.

He said he was in possession of a report from the police clinic where his client had been receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, Justice Halilu adjourned the matter until November 9 for trial and possible hearing of the defendant’s bail application.

The arraignment came two weeks after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, struck out the eight-count criminal charge brought against Adeyemi by the Federal Government.

Justice Umar struck out the case before him following a request by the Federal Government to that effect and on the basis that the accused person would be moved to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory for fresh arraignment.

Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State on July 14 after the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered his arrest after failing to honour the court’s summons.

He is alleged to be the mastermind of the “fake” PFIPC, which operated as a government agency, had an office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, and also allegedly recruited staff without legal backing.

Adeyemi alleged Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, took ₦400m through a proxy to facilitate his appointment as the head of the “fake” agency, a claim the former has denied.

In the wake of the controversy, President Tinubu ordered the ICPC to investigate the matter.

When the ICPC submitted its interim report to Tinubu, the agency’s chairman, Musa Aliyu, said preliminary findings revealed that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government.

Aliyu also said the purported appointment letter, gazette, and other documents used to establish the agency were forged.