The Federal Government is set to arraign Adeniyi Adeyemi, the promoter of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), afresh after a Federal High Court in Abuja struck out the eight-count charge previously filed against him.
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the case on Monday following an application by the prosecution to discontinue the proceedings, pending Adeyemi’s fresh arraignment before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Rotimi Oyedepo, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, told the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation had reviewed the case file and discovered legal issues with the charge initially instituted by the Inspector-General of Police.
Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, explained that the alleged forged documents linked to Adeyemi’s operation of the purported council fell within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.
He informed the court that a fresh charge had already been filed before the appropriate court and that the government intended to arraign the defendant without delay.
The prosecution subsequently requested that the existing charge be struck out. Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, did not oppose the application, paving the way for Justice Umar to terminate the proceedings before him.
How the PFIPC Scandal Unfolded
Adeyemi has been in police custody since his arrest in Osun State on July 14.
Before his arrest, a Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered his arrest after he allegedly failed to honour the court’s summons.
The case centres on the purported PFIPC, which allegedly operated as though it were an established government agency despite lacking the necessary legal authority or presidential proclamation.
According to the report, the organisation reportedly secured an allocation in the 2026 federal budget, occupied office space at the Federal Secretariat and recruited staff.
The controversy escalated after Adeyemi alleged that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, received ₦400 million through a proxy in connection with an appointment letter into the purported agency.
The allegation triggered public outrage and prompted President Tinubu to direct the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the scandal.
With the earlier charge now struck out on jurisdictional grounds, the Federal Government is preparing to pursue the case before the FCT High Court.