Inside police case against Adeniyi Adeyemi over forged presidency documents

The Federal High Court in Abuja is set to hear a case involving Adeniyi Adeyemi, convener of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), over allegations of forgery, impersonation and conspiracy tied to the activities of the group.

Adeyemi is expected in court on July 27, 2027, following an eight-count charge filed by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on November 27, 2025. The charges also name two additional suspects identified only as Femi and Anu, whose surnames remain unknown and who are currently at large.

Court documents reviewed show that the prosecution is being handled by Wisdom Madaki, legal prosecuting counsel in the Directorate of Legal Services at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

At the heart of the case is the allegation that Adeyemi and the other suspects created and deployed forged presidential documents in a bid to give legal and institutional backing to the PFIPC, an entity authorities say has no official recognition.

The controversy around the PFIPC first gained public attention in late 2025 after the presidency raised concerns over its operations. According to officials, the group had allegedly been presenting itself as a federal-backed investment and intervention body, despite there being no formal approval for its establishment.

The matter escalated when Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, reportedly alerted security agencies after complaints emerged that the council was operating alongside the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), potentially creating confusion among investors and government institutions.

The presidency said the alleged operators of the PFIPC had been using forged appointment letters bearing Gbajabiamila’s signature, official reference numbers and State House seals to create the impression of presidential backing.

Investigators say this gave the organisation a veneer of legitimacy, allowing it to approach ministries, departments and agencies with official-looking correspondence.

According to the charge sheet, one of the major allegations is that the defendants forged presidential letterhead and used it to issue requests for collaboration to government institutions.

One of such letters allegedly sought collaboration with ministries on land requisition and the allocation of offices across the 36 states of the federation, with the documents falsely presented as originating from the State House.

Another count alleges that the suspects forged an appointment letter purportedly signed by the president and the chief of staff, appointing Adeyemi to an official role linked to the PFIPC.

Police also accused Adeyemi of falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of the council between 2024 and 2025, an act prosecutors say amounts to criminal impersonation under Section 179 of the Penal Code.

Other charges relate to alleged forged requests for office accommodation, staff account approvals and an approval document linked to what prosecutors described as the “Re-Take Off Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.”

The eight charges are being prosecuted under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, which deals with forgery-related crimes, alongside provisions of the Penal Code.

The case is likely to attract wider public interest because it touches on concerns around institutional impersonation, the misuse of presidential symbols and the potential risks such acts pose to governance and investor confidence.

For the government, the prosecution may also serve as a test case in addressing the growing trend of unauthorised entities allegedly exploiting state identity and official documentation to advance private interests.

With two of the suspects still at large, security agencies are expected to intensify efforts to track them down ahead of the substantive hearing later this month.