Police authorities have arrested Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed ‘director-general’ of the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The Force Public Relations Officer (PRO), Okokon Iniedu, said Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State.

“We have just confirmed the arrest of Mr. Adeniyi Adeyemi by a team of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Osun State,” Iniedu wrote in a terse message obtained by Channels Television. “Thank you.”

A video accompanying the message showed Adeyemi being questioned by police operatives after he was arrested.

Although no further details have been disclosed about the arrest of Adeyemi, the development came after a court issued a bench warrant for his arrest following his failure to appear for his scheduled arraignment.

Justice Umar of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, issued the arrest order following an oral application made by the police lawyer, Wisdom Madaki.

Adeyemi was billed to take his plea on an eight-count charge relating to forgery, fraud, and impersonation.

Justice Umar asked security agencies to arrest and produce the defendant before the court on September 30 for arraignment.

The ‘director-general’ is accused of forging an appointment letter purported to have been issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

He is also being accused of forging Presidential Letter-Headed Papers on 8th March, 2024.

In the charge, Adeyemi is also accused of forging a request for collaboration with the Ministry of 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.

The Federal Government is alleging that he falsely personates as “the Director General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council” as well as forging a request for office space, purported to be from the State House.

Adeyemi had paraded himself as the director-general of the council, with photos of himself and prominent Nigerians circulated on social media.

He also claimed to have given money to Gbajabiamila to secure the appointment. But the presidency, in a strongly worded rebuttal, denied the existence of the agency.

However, Adeyemi claimed the council wouldn’t have appeared in the 2026 budget if it did not exist. Amid the controversy, he alleged a threat to his life and vowed to defend himself.

“Let the court take its course. Since my lawyers are involved, everybody will follow us. They will monitor the whole thing. Then let the court of competent jurisdiction do what they need to,” he said on an edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

In the wake of the scandal, President Bola Tinubu asked the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the matter. (Channels TV)

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