The Nigeria Police Force has arrested Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), following weeks of investigation into the activities of the alleged non-existent agency.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, confirmed that Adeyemi was arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Osun State.
“We have just confirmed the arrest of Mr. Adeniyi Adeyemi by a team of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Osun State,” Iniedu said.
A video released after the arrest showed Adeyemi being questioned by police operatives.
His arrest followed a bench warrant issued by Justice Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja after he failed to appear for arraignment on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, fraud and impersonation.
The warrant was granted following an oral application by police counsel, Wisdom Madaki, with the court directing security agencies to arrest and produce Adeyemi before September 30 for arraignment.
According to the charges, Adeyemi allegedly forged an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. He was also accused of forging presidential documents dated March 8, 2024, including correspondence seeking collaboration with government agencies and office allocations across the 36 states.
The Federal Government alleged that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC and issued official correspondence on behalf of the purported agency.
Adeyemi had publicly claimed leadership of the council, with photographs of him alongside prominent Nigerians circulating on social media. He also alleged that he paid money to Gbajabiamila to secure the appointment, a claim the Presidency has denied.
The Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC has no legal existence, while the Office of the Chief of Staff denied any involvement with the organisation.
However, Adeyemi insisted that the council existed, arguing that it was captured in the 2026 budget. He had also claimed his life was under threat and vowed to defend himself in court.
“Let the court take its course. Since my lawyers are involved, everybody will follow us. They will monitor the whole thing. Then let the court of competent jurisdiction do what they need to,” he said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the controversy surrounding the alleged agency.
Police authorities said Adeyemi was arrested without incident following intelligence-led operations. Investigators had earlier searched his family residence and questioned relatives while tracing his whereabouts.
He is expected to be questioned over the establishment and operations of the alleged council, the authenticity of documents linked to it, and claims that members of the public were misled into believing it was a legitimate government agency.
Authorities will also investigate whether other individuals were involved and whether offences including impersonation, forgery, obtaining by false pretense and conspiracy were committed.
