The Nigerian Police have arrested the alleged fake Director General of Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Aeniji Adeyemi Matthew.
Adeyemi’s arrest was effected in Osun State on Tuesday, hours after Justice Muhammed Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had issued a warrant for his arrest following an oral application to that effect by counsel to the Police, Wisdom Madaki.
The Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team carried out the arrest.
The order was given after Adeyemi failed to appear in court to respond to some eight-count charge preferred against him and two other co-defendants by the Police.
In the fresh charge document market: FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, the Police charged the defendants with forgery, impersonation, among others.
In the case file, the Federal Republic of Nigeria was listed as the complainant while Adeyemi, Femi (surname unknown) and Anu (surname unknown) were named first to third suspects respectively.
The charge was filed in the court on November 27, 2025, by Madaki.
When the case was called up, none of the suspects was in court, prompting Madaki to orally apply to the court to issue a bench warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest. It was not clear why Madaki did not make similar application for the arrest of the other two defendants who were equally not in court.
Responding to the application, Adeyemi’s lawyer, Genesis Francis, told the court that his client feared for his life and had written a letter to President Bola Tinubu, adding that Adeyemi wants to stay alive to face his trial.
In response, Justice Umar said the court “would help him to stay alive”.
After taking arguments from the lawyers, the Judge directed all security agencies to arrest Adeyemi anywhere he is sighted.
The Judge adjourned the case until September 30, 2026 for arraignment.
On June 16 when the case came up for the suspects to take their plea, Adeyemi was said to be indisposed and Justice Umar adjourned the matter.
According to the court documents, witnesses listed in the case are Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede and Ituah Slyvester.
Other witnesses listed are civil servants working in the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGoF), Akimbo Shola and DSP Adamu Balongu.
Other listed witnesses are Ojo Victor, Omeh Amarachukwu, and Wakili Saidu, all of whom were allegedly posted to work with Adeyemi at the alleged non-existed agency.
Others are Mrs. Joy Ngwoke, the owner of Kachi Hotel in Abuja; and Ven Okoriko, the pastor of Saint Matthews Anglican Church, Maitama.
The Police are expected to tender in court, documentary evidences such as Police Investigation Report; Gbajabiamila’s Petition dated 17 October, 2025; and Adeyemi’s fake Presidential Appointment Letter dated March 8, 2024.
Other documents expected in court include Adeyemi’s request for a Note Verbal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the approvals he got to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), request for approval of Self Accounting, which Adeyemi sent to the AGoF and the conveyance of approval for take-off of the PFIPC.
The prosecution listed the following other documents: letter of request for collaboration with the ministry with respect to land acquisition, and offices across the 36 states of the federation; statements of all the witnesses and those of the defendants, and pictures.
The Police said in the court documents, that “the prosecution shall during the trial, call any other related witness or witnesses to prove its case”.
Adeyemi was alleged to have operated the fictitious agency from the 2nd floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, Phase III, before his arrest.
President Tinubu had on July 7, directed the Independent Corrupt Practices (and Other Related Offences) Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the fictitious agency. The commission was given 30 days to complete the investigation.
Controversy surrounding the alleged non-existed PFIPC which has a budget of about N1.3 billion in the 2026 federal budget, has prompted many Nigerians to shine their search lights on the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Reports are emerging where budget votes meant for Almajari Schools, for instance, were being earmarked for roads, and hospitals, etc in some states of the federation.
- NAN (with additional reporting by FinancialTrust)