The defendant pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of alleged forgery, impersonation and fraud as the court fixed November 9 for trial.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has re-arraigned Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly posed as Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, over a 22-count charge involving alleged forgery, impersonation and fraud linked to a purported ₦30.8bn government funding request.
Adeyemi appeared before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The prosecution alleged that he used forged government documents to present the purported council as a legitimate agency, seeking official recognition, government office accommodation and billions of naira in public funds.
According to the amended charges, Adeyemi allegedly requested more than ₦27bn as a take-off grant for the council and an additional ₦3.8bn for personnel costs.
The commission accused him of using documents purportedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to support his claim to the position of director-general.
One of the charges alleged that Adeyemi forged a letter dated March 8, 2024, with reference number SH/COS/209/A/3456, purportedly appointing him to head the council.
The prosecution said the document was allegedly intended to enable him to occupy government office facilities at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.
Other counts accused him of forging correspondence addressed to the Accountant-General of the Federation to secure self-accounting status for the purported council and a separate letter to the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency to obtain a domain name for the organisation.
The commission also alleged that Adeyemi offered ₦210,000 to Aminu Abdullahi, an Assistant Chief Technical Officer in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to facilitate the allocation of office space without official authorisation.
In another count, he was accused of offering ₦300,000 to Ogaba Harry, an official in the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, to facilitate the release of two official vehicles—a Prado SUV and a Land Cruiser SUV.
The prosecution further alleged that Adeyemi obtained ₦20m from Oyekunle Gbenga, managing director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, under the guise of a project facilitation loan.
According to the commission, the money was connected to a purported ₦2.8bn contract allegedly awarded by the council for furniture and electronics procurement and the refurbishment of the director-general’s official residence.
The alleged offences were said to have occurred between 2024 and 2026 and were brought under relevant provisions of the Penal Code, the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Following Adeyemi’s plea, prosecution counsel Fatima Bardi urged the court to fix a date for trial to enable the commission to present its case.
However, defence counsel Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, made an oral application for bail, citing his client’s prolonged detention and health concerns.
Angulu told the court that Adeyemi had spent 155 days in detention and had obtained a medical report from the police clinic where he was receiving treatment.
Justice Halilu Yusuf directed the defence to file a formal bail application before adjourning the case to November 9 for the commencement of trial and possible hearing of the bail application.
The re-arraignment followed the withdrawal of earlier charges by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, on October 12 for amendment and refiling before the FCT High Court.
Adeyemi had previously been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 30 on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery and impersonation.
The investigation reportedly followed a petition by Gbajabiamila to the Inspector-General of Police and the State Security Service over the purported council and Adeyemi’s claim to lead it.
Police investigations reportedly uncovered correspondence between the purported organisation and several ministries, departments and agencies of government.
Investigators also traced 34 bank accounts allegedly linked to its operations, including nine said to have been opened in the names of purported government agencies.
In July, President Bola Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate the council’s activities.
The Presidency reportedly maintained that the Federal Government had never established the organisation and that it had no legal basis.
The investigation was expected to examine the alleged use of forged documents, the opening and operation of the bank accounts, the movement of funds and any possible involvement of public officers or other individuals.
Adeyemi has denied the charges by pleading not guilty.
The allegations remain unproven, and the trial is expected to determine the merits of the prosecution’s case.