The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice to grant detained self-styled Director-General (DG) of the alleged “non-existent” Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, access to his legal representatives.
However, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who delivered the ruling, refused to order Adeyemi’s release from detention while investigations into the allegations against him are ongoing.
Instead, the judge directed Adeyemi to serve copies of his fundamental rights enforcement suit on the police and the AGF to give them an opportunity to respond.
The court also gave the IGP, the police, and the AGF 72 hours to explain why the reliefs sought by the applicant in his motion should not be granted.
Adeyemi, who has remained in detention since July, approached the court through his lawyers to seek enforcement of his fundamental rights.
He requested six reliefs, including an order compelling the respondents to grant him bail pending the determination of the case against him.
He also asked the court to allow him access to medical practitioners of his choice and restrain the police from interrogating him or taking statements from him without the presence of his lawyers.
Specifically, he prayed the court to 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.”
While the court granted his request for access to his lawyer, it declined to grant the remaining applications pending a response from the respondents.
The matter was thereafter adjourned until September 9 for the respondents to show cause.
It would be recalled that on July 14, the court issued a bench warrant that resulted in the arrest of the alleged “fake” DG at his hideout in Osun State.
Although the Federal Government has not yet formally arraigned him over the PFIPC controversy, Adeyemi is facing a separate eight-count charge filed by the police on November 27, 2025.
Justice Mohammed Umar had earlier scheduled September 30 for Adeyemi to enter his plea in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, involving allegations of forgery, fraud, and impersonation.
Those expected to testify include the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.
Other prospective witnesses include civil servants from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Before his arrest, Adeyemi granted an interview to Channels Television from his hideout, claiming that threats to his life forced him to withdraw from public activities.
He rejected claims that he was evading law enforcement authorities to avoid investigations into his alleged role in the PFIPC fraud.
Adeyemi also stood by his allegation that he paid N400 million through an intermediary to President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila, to secure his appointment as DG of the controversial council.
According to him, individuals from whom he borrowed the N400 million used to obtain the appointment later petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against him.
An interim police investigation reportedly revealed how Adeyemi allegedly forged appointment letters and other official documents to portray the PFIPC as a legitimate Federal Government agency.
Police said the investigation began after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned the Inspector-General of Police on October 17, 2025, concerning the activities of persons allegedly involved in forging official appointment letters purportedly originating from the office.
The petition stated that preliminary investigations found that the documents contained allegedly falsified signatures, reference numbers, official seals, and the Nigerian Coat of Arms. The documents were reportedly used to appoint individuals into the non-existent PFIPC.
Adeyemi, described as the principal suspect, allegedly held himself out as the DG of the council and operated from an office at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.
One of the persons allegedly connected to the matter, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, was reported to have died in a hotel fire in Abuja.
Meanwhile, Adeyemi, who continues to deny claims that the PFIPC was non-existent, has called for the establishment of an independent, multi-stakeholder investigative panel to examine the controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion budget insertion for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
In an open letter addressed to President Tinubu, Adeyemi said he was willing to provide documentary evidence and cooperate fully with investigators once an independent panel was established.
He proposed that the panel should include representatives of civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), independent media organisations, international financial institutions, human rights groups, diplomatic missions, as well as the ICPC and EFCC.
Adeyemi said his decision to remain out of public view was further influenced by the controversial circumstances surrounding Tanimola’s death, describing him as a key intermediary in the matter.
Some of the counts in the charge against him read: “That you, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, ‘M,’ 38 years of age, of 2nd Floor, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, Femi (surname unknown), and Anu (surname unknown), now at large, on or about the 8th day of March 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, forged presidential letter-headed papers, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
“That you, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, ‘M,’ 38 years of age, of 2nd Floor, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, Femi (surname unknown), and Anu (surname unknown), now at large, on or about the 8th day of March 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, forged a request for collaboration with the Ministry in the area of land requisition and offices across the 36 states of the Federation, purported to have been issued from the State House, Abuja, Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
“That you, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, ‘M,’ 38 years of age, of 2nd Floor, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, Femi (surname unknown), and Anu (surname unknown), now at large, sometime between 2024 and 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, falsely impersonated the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 179 of the Penal Code.”