The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to grant the bail and medical requests sought by Adeniyi Adeyemi, the detained man accused of falsely parading himself as Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, while ruling on Adeyemi’s ex-parte application on Thursday, ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to grant him access to his legal representatives.
The judge also directed the IGP, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the AGF to explain within 72 hours why Adeyemi’s outstanding requests, including bail, should not be granted.
Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter until September 9 to enable the respondents to present their explanations.
Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation.
He has remained in police custody since his arrest in Osun State on July 14, following a bench warrant issued by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, after he failed to appear in court for arraignment.
The police had filed the charges against him on November 27, 2025.
Among the allegations against Adeyemi are that he forged documents purportedly emanating from the State House, falsely represented himself as the PFIPC Director-General and impersonated a government official.
The case is linked to controversy surrounding the status and activities of the PFIPC, which the Presidency has said is not a government agency established by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The Presidency had also alleged that Adeyemi relied on forged appointment documents in his bid to secure official recognition for the organisation.
The controversy took another turn after a body described as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council was listed in the 2026 Appropriation Bill with an allocation of approximately N1.303 billion.
The House of Representatives subsequently launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the inclusion of the disputed organisation in the budget.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) also investigated the matter and submitted an interim report to President Tinubu in August.
The commission recommended Adeyemi’s prosecution, stating that its preliminary findings suggested that he was not appointed by the Federal Government and that documents allegedly used in connection with the establishment of the agency were forged.
Meanwhile, the House committee investigating the controversy has heard allegations concerning Adeyemi’s dealings.
A businessman, Gbenga Collins, reportedly told the committee in August that he paid N400 million to Adeyemi to facilitate the award of a contract.
Adeyemi has denied wrongdoing and maintained that he is ready to defend himself against the allegations in court.
The matter has been adjourned until September 9, when the police, the NPF and the AGF are expected to respond to the court’s directive and address the remaining reliefs sought by Adeyemi.
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