How Police Arrested Alleged PFIPC DG in Osun Village

The man who claimed to be the Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, has been arrested by the police in Osun State.

His arrest came only a few hours after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant directing security agencies to apprehend him.

Reports indicated that operatives of the Force Headquarters’ Federal Investigation Department and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) tracked him to his hideout in Osun State, where he was taken into custody.

Security sources disclosed that the operation was led by Moses Lohor, with Adeyemi eventually arrested in a community within Ijesaland.

It was also gathered that the Department of State Services (DSS) had monitored his movements for about five days before handing over the operation to the police special unit.

The spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the arrest, adding that Adeyemi was already being transported to Abuja for further legal proceedings.

Earlier on Tuesday, Justice Umar approved a bench warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest after an oral application by the police prosecuting counsel, Wisdom Madaki.

Adeyemi is expected to answer an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, fraud and impersonation in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025.

Although the matter appeared as number 12 on the court’s cause list, Adeyemi failed to appear for his arraignment. His lawyer, Genesis Francis, however, informed the court that he was representing the defendant.

During the proceedings, the prosecution informed the court that Adeyemi had repeatedly failed to attend previous sittings.

The police lawyer argued that it was the fifth time the matter had come before the court and that every adjournment had resulted from the defendant’s failure to appear.

Relying on the provisions of Section 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the prosecution asked the court to issue a warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest.

The request was opposed by the defence counsel, who argued that his client had stayed away from court because of threats to his life.

The lawyer reminded the court that Adeyemi had attended proceedings on May 16, after which the case was adjourned.

He also maintained that the case had attracted public attention and that his client feared for his safety due to repeated threats.

The defence further claimed that Adeyemi believed some individuals had been searching for him even without any court order.

After hearing submissions from both sides, Justice Umar ruled in favour of the prosecution and approved the issuance of the arrest warrant.

The judge observed that although the charge was filed on November 27, 2025, proceedings only commenced on December 4 of the same year.

He further noted that Adeyemi had appeared in court only once since the case began and had failed to attend four consecutive hearings afterwards.

Justice Umar consequently directed security agencies to arrest the defendant and produce him before the court on September 30 for his arraignment.

Among those expected to testify during the trial are the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhuede, Ituah Sylvester, officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Akimbo Shola, Adamu Balogun, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Before his arrest, Adeyemi had told Channels Television that he stayed away from public view because he feared for his life.

He denied allegations that he was hiding to avoid investigation into the PFIPC controversy and insisted he was willing to appear publicly but remained concerned about threats against him.

Adeyemi also repeated his claim that he paid N400 million to secure his appointment as Director-General of the disputed council.

According to him, those who provided the money had since reported him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the transaction.

Police investigations earlier alleged that Adeyemi forged appointment letters and official documents to make the PFIPC appear to be a genuine Federal Government agency.

The investigation reportedly began after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on October 17, 2025, over alleged forged appointment letters linked to the Presidency.

According to investigators, the forged documents allegedly carried fake signatures, reference numbers, official seals and the Nigerian Coat of Arms, and were used to appoint people into the alleged council.

Police further alleged that Adeyemi presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC and operated from an office inside the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.

One of the individuals allegedly linked to the case, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, reportedly died in a hotel fire in Abuja.

Despite the allegations, Adeyemi has continued to insist that the PFIPC is a legitimate body.

He recently called for an independent panel to investigate claims surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion allocation made to the council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

In an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, Adeyemi stated that he was ready to provide documents and cooperate fully if an independent investigation was established.

He suggested that the panel should include representatives from civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, independent media, international financial institutions, human rights organisations, diplomatic missions, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the EFCC.

Adeyemi also said the death of Tanimola, whom he described as an important intermediary in the matter, further influenced his decision to remain out of public view.

Meanwhile, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Tinubu to suspend his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to allow an independent investigation into allegations connected to the controversy.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said remaining silent would not resolve the allegations surrounding the matter.

He referred to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s suspension of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, during an investigation and argued that the same standard should apply in this case.

Atiku also referred to separate allegations accusing Gbajabiamila of unlawfully benefiting from oil and gas royalty funds through what was described as a fake legal framework.

He argued that the Federal Government could not claim to be fighting corruption while ignoring allegations involving senior government officials.

The former vice-president maintained that Gbajabiamila should be investigated independently and given an opportunity to respond to the allegations against him.

The Chief of Staff has faced public scrutiny after Adeyemi alleged that he collected N400 million in exchange for facilitating his appointment letter.

Despite claims that there was no legal instrument establishing the PFIPC, the body reportedly operated like a government agency, secured a budget allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act, occupied office space within the Federal Secretariat and recruited members of staff.