The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out the eight-count charge filed against Adeniyi Adeyemi, accused of establishing and operating a fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), following the Federal Government's decision to pursue the case before another court.
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the charge after the prosecution requested its withdrawal, explaining that a review of the case had revealed jurisdictional issues that necessitated a fresh arraignment before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
At the proceedings, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had reviewed the case file and identified issues with the existing charge.
According to Oyedepo, the review showed that the alleged forgery offences involving documents used to establish the purported agency were matters that could be prosecuted before the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.
He informed the court that a fresh charge had already been filed before the FCT High Court and assured the judge that Adeyemi would be arraigned without unnecessary delay.
The prosecution consequently asked the court to strike out the existing charge to allow the government to proceed with the new case.
Adeyemi's counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, also a SAN, did not oppose the application. Justice Umar subsequently granted the request and struck out the charge.
Adeyemi had been charged alongside two other defendants, whose whereabouts were unknown, over allegations of conspiracy and forgery.
His arrest followed a previous order by the Federal High Court directing the police to apprehend him after he allegedly failed to honour the court's summons. Police authorities arrested him in Osun State on July 14.
The case centres on allegations that Adeyemi established and operated the PFIPC as a government institution without lawful authorisation. The purported agency allegedly maintained an office at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and recruited personnel despite lacking official approval.
The controversy attracted national attention after Adeyemi alleged that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, received N400m through a proxy to facilitate his appointment as head of the purported agency. Gbajabiamila denied the allegation.
Amid the controversy, President Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the purported agency and establish how it operated within government institutions.
Presenting the commission's interim findings, ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu said preliminary investigations indicated that Adeyemi had never been appointed by the Federal Government.
Aliyu further disclosed that the purported appointment letter, gazette and other documents allegedly used to establish the agency were forged.
The commission recommended Adeyemi's prosecution and called for administrative sanctions against public officers whose alleged negligence or omissions facilitated the operation of the purported agency.
“Our recommendation is that Mr Adeniyi Adeyemi should be prosecuted. Administrative sanctions should also be imposed on public officers whose acts of omission and negligence facilitated the illegal operation of PFIPC/PEAC,” Aliyu said.
He also called for institutional reforms to strengthen internal controls across ministries, departments and agencies and prevent similar incidents in the future.
The House of Representatives separately investigated the circumstances surrounding the establishment and operation of the purported agency.
Its ad hoc committee described the appointment letter presented by Adeyemi as fake during the investigation.
A former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who appeared before the committee, acknowledged that due diligence had not been sufficiently conducted before the purported agency was recognised.
Walson-Jack accepted responsibility for the lapse, explaining that her office had relied on documents that appeared authentic without subjecting them to adequate verification.
The withdrawal of the charge at the Federal High Court is expected to enable the prosecution to pursue the allegations before the FCT High Court, where Adeyemi is to be arraigned afresh.
The allegations against the defendant remain to be determined by the court.
Leave a Reply