The Federal Government is set to arraign Adeniyi Adeyemi afresh over his alleged involvement in the operations of a fictitious presidential agency after a Federal High Court in Abuja struck out the eight-count charge against him.
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the case on Monday following an application by the prosecution to discontinue the proceedings, pending Adeyemi’s fresh arraignment before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Rotimi Oyedepo, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, told the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation had reviewed the case file and discovered defects in the charge initially instituted by the Inspector-General of Police.
Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, explained that the alleged offences involving forged documents used in the operations of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) fell within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.
He informed the court that a fresh charge had already been filed before the appropriate court and that the government intended to proceed with Adeyemi’s arraignment without delay.
The prosecution subsequently asked the court to strike out the existing charge. Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, did not oppose the application, prompting Justice Umar to grant the request.
The development clears the way for the government to pursue the case under the fresh charge. The striking out of the earlier charge was based on jurisdictional concerns and does not amount to a determination of Adeyemi’s guilt or innocence.
Adeyemi has been in police custody since his arrest in Osun State on July 14. Before his arrest, a Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered that he be arrested after he allegedly failed to honour the court’s summons.
The case stems from the activities of the purported PFIPC, which allegedly operated as though it were an established government institution despite lacking the necessary legal backing or presidential declaration.
According to reports, the organisation occupied an office at the Federal Secretariat, recruited staff and was reportedly allocated funds in the 2026 federal budget.
The controversy attracted national attention after Adeyemi alleged that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, received ₦400 million through a proxy in connection with an appointment letter into the purported agency.
Following public outcry over the allegations, President Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the scandal.
Adeyemi’s fresh arraignment is expected to provide the next step in the prosecution of the case, which has raised questions about the alleged impersonation of government institutions, the use of forged documents and the safeguards surrounding public appointments and budgetary allocations.