PFIPC: Court Rejects Adeniyi Adeyemi’s Bail Application

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday declined to grant a bail application filed by Adeniyi Adeyemi, the Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a ruling on an ex parte motion filed by Adeyemi’s lawyer, M.B. Abdulazeez, held that there was a need to hear from the police and other respondents in the suit in the interest of a fair hearing.

Justice Egwuatu, however, granted a relief for the respondents to give Adeyemi, who is currently in police custody, unhindered access to his lawyers.

The newsmen report that Adeyemi, through his lawyer, had, in the suit, sued the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police (IGP), Nigeria Police Force and Assistant-Inspector General of Police as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

In the suit signed by another lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, the alleged fake DG sought six reliefs.

Adeyemi urged the court to admit him to bail, release him from detention and allow him to seek medical attention from health practitioners of his own choice over his alleged ill health.

He also sought an order restraining the police or any other officers or agents from interrogating him or directing him to make, adopt or sign any statement, save in the presence of a legal practitioner of his own choice.

He equally sought “an order that, for so long as the applicant remains in custody, the respondents do permit the applicant unimpeded access to legal practitioners of his own choosing at all reasonable hours.”

In his affidavit, Adeyemi’s elder brother, Adeniyi Adebola, said the detainee was unable to attend to the commissioner for oaths by reason of his detention.

The police, in a criminal charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, are presently prosecuting Adeyemi over allegations bordering on forgery, impersonation, among others, before another brother judge, Justice Mohammed Umar.

*Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew

Justice Umar had, in July, issued an arrest warrant against Adeyemi following his absence from scheduled proceedings.

The judge then fixed Sept. 30 for his arraignment.

After the issuance of the arrest warrant, Adeyemi was later apprehended by the police and was in custody, pending his arraignment.

Meanwhile, when the civil case before Justice Obiora was called on Thursday, Abdulazeez, who appeared for Adeyemi, moved the motion ex parte.

After moving the application, Justice Egwatu held that the requests for bail, medical attention and other reliefs could not be granted without hearing from the respondents.

The judge, however, granted Relief six, which mandated the AGF and the police to give Adeniyi unfettered access to his lawyers.

The judge also gave the respondents a 72-hour ultimatum to show cause why the other reliefs sought by Adeniyi should not be granted.

The court consequently fixed Sept. 9 for the respondents to show cause.

The police, in the criminal charge, named Adeyemi, “Femi Surname Unknown,” and “Anu Surname Unknown” as the first to third defendants, respectively, over alleged forgery and impersonation.

In the police processes before Justice Umar, the prosecution lined up several witnesses, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, etc, to give evidence in the case.

Investigators alleged that Adeyemi operated the purported agency from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja before his arrest.