Adeyemi Adeniyi, the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), appeared in court on Monday along with four co-defendants as the Federal Government presented a new 36-count amended charge against them. The charges include accusations of forgery, false representation, and fraud.
The hearing took place at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Halilu Yusuf. However, the arraignment was postponed due to the absence of the fourth defendant, Florence Omemah, who is reportedly ill and hospitalized in Abuja. Prosecution counsel Sylvanus Tahir requested a week-long adjournment to allow her time for recovery.
Adeniyi’s lawyer, Ibrahim Angulu, sought a shorter delay, arguing that his client had been detained for over 200 days and needed to pursue bail. In his ruling, Justice Yusuf adjourned the case until November 18, mandating that Adeniyi be held at Kuje Correctional Centre while the other defendants remain in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The allegations against Adeniyi include establishing a fictitious federal agency and falsely claiming to be its director-general. Investigators assert that the agency lacked legal authorization, and Adeniyi allegedly forged official documents to validate his position.
Additionally, it is claimed he had unauthorized meetings with foreign diplomats and managed multiple bank accounts linked to the agency, which allegedly sought a budget allocation of ₦1.302 billion for its non-existent operations. Investigations have also suggested the existence of two other fictitious agencies associated with Adeniyi.
Initially charged with eight counts, the case was previously thrown out by the Federal High Court in October due to concerns over jurisdiction. The ICPC subsequently filed the new charges, expanding the number of defendants involved. Adeniyi has pleaded not guilty to the allegations and remains in custody as the case unfolds.
