Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), failed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday for his scheduled arraignment over allegations of certificate forgery, fraud and impersonation.
Adeyemi was expected to take his plea before Justice Mohammed Umar on an eight-count charge filed against him in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025. The case, which was listed on the court’s cause list for hearing, could not proceed with his arraignment because he was absent when the matter was called.
The charges were filed on November 27, 2025, by police prosecutor Wisdom Madaki. The prosecution plans to present several witnesses during the trial, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede and Ituah Sylvester.
Other witnesses listed by the prosecution include Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, who work in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Adeyemi’s absence comes a day after he appeared on Channels Television, where he said he had stayed away from the public because of alleged threats to his life. He also denied claims that he was avoiding security agencies or trying to escape investigations linked to the PFIPC controversy.
During the interview, Adeyemi repeated his allegation that he paid ₦400 million through a proxy to President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to secure his appointment as head of the disputed agency. He also claimed that the individuals who provided the money later reported him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after demanding repayment.
The case remains one of the major legal matters surrounding the controversy over the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, while authorities continue their investigation into the allegations against Adeyemi.