The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Thursday, arraigned the self-acclaimed Director-General of the “fake” Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Matthew Adeniyi Adeyemi, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Adeyemi was arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, on a 22-count charge bordering on forgery, false personation as a public servant, and obtaining over N27 billion to start the fake agency and N3.8 billion for personnel costs.

The prosecuting agency, ICPC, alleged in the charge that Adeyemi obtained the N30.8 billion from government coffers by forging a document addressed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

The prosecution alleged that, on March 8, 2024, in Abuja, the defendant forged a document, to

a letter Reference: SH/COS/209/A/3456 dated 8th March 8, 2024, purportedly signed/ issued by the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President, Right Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, appointing Adeyemi as the Director-General of the “fake” PFIPC, with the intention of causing it to be believed as genuine and occupying government office facilities at the Federal Secretariat Complex Phase III.

ICPC claimed that the forged document was presented by the defendant as portraying himself as Director-General of the PIFPC in order to obtain government recognition and legitimacy for the purpose of carrying out his fraudulent activities.

Adeyemi was further alleged to have forged a document, captioned, “Re: Request for approval of self-accounting status”, addressed to the Accountant-General of the Federation for the non-existent agency to operate within the government financial reporting structure.

He was also alleged to have forged documents to the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to get a domain name for the agency.

The prosecution accused Adeyemi of gifting N210,000 to Aminu Abdullahi, an Assistant Chief Technical Officer in the Office of the Secretary General of the Federation (OSFG), “to facilitate the allocation of office space,” without official authorisation.

​He was further alleged to have gifted the sum of N300,000 to an officer in the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Ogaba Harry, to facilitate the release and handover of two official vehicles, a Prado Jeep and Land Cruiser Jeep, to him (Adeyemi).

ICPC also alleged that on July 29, 2025, the defendant collected he sum of N20 million from the Managing Director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, Oyekunle Gbenga, under the false pretence of a “project facilitation loan”, in respect of a purported contract valued at N2.8 billion awarded by the “fake’ agency for the procurement of furniture, electronics and refurbishment of his (Adeyemi’s) official residence.

According to ICPC, all the alleged offences were carried out between 2024 and 2026.

It added that the offences contravened Sections 364, 366, and 132 of the Penal Code Cap. 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990; Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act and Section 9(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 9(b) of the same Act.

Adeyemi, however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him in the open court.

Following his not-guilty plea, the prosecuting counsel, Fatima Bardi, asked the court for a date for the commencement of trial to enable the prosecution to prove its case against the defendant.

Counsel for the defendant, Ibrahim Angulu SAN, on his part, applied orally to the court to grant the defendant bail, citing Adeyemi’s prolonged detention and health challenge.

According to him, Adeyemi had spent 155 days in detention and had obtained a health report from the police clinic, where he had been receiving treatment, to show his deteriorating health condition.

​Justice Halilu, however, directed the defence counsel to file a written bail application.

He subsequently adjourned the case to November 9 for commencement of trial and possible hearing of the defendant’s bail application (Nigerian Tribune)