PFIPC suspect’s trial stalls for eighth month as court adjourns again
Adeniyi Adeyemi’s arraignment for allegedly operating a fake government agency has been delayed since November 2025 due to defence requests and ill health.
The arraignment of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of creating and operating the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), has been repeatedly delayed since charges were filed against him in November 2025. Court records show the case has been adjourned several times due to requests from the defence, court scheduling conflicts, and the defendant's claims of ill health.
Adeyemi was arrested by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit on October 27, 2025, and spent 23 days in detention before being granted administrative bail on medical grounds after submitting a health report. A police source disclosed that the suspect developed health complications while in detention. “He got ill in police custody and was having an enlarged liver,” the source said.
He was formally charged at the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 27. The case first came up for arraignment before Justice Mohammed Umar on February 3, 2026. The prosecution announced it was ready to proceed, but Adeyemi’s lawyer requested more time, arguing that the defence had only recently been served with the charge. The prosecution objected, insisting the charges had been served about two weeks earlier. Justice Umar granted the request and adjourned until February 11.
When the matter came up on the new date, proceedings could not be held because the trial judge was away attending a judicial workshop, forcing another postponement. The case was then fixed for April 14, but Adeyemi failed to appear. His lawyer informed the court that the defendant was ill and tendered a letter explaining his absence. The matter was adjourned until June 16. When the case resumed, the prosecution again announced its readiness, but the defence sought yet another adjournment, this time informing the court that counsel was ill. The court adjourned the case until July 14.
Police investigations began on October 17, 2025, following a petition from the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, alleging forgery and impersonation. Investigators searched Adeyemi’s office and residence, recovered official documents, and traced 34 bank accounts allegedly linked to him, including accounts opened in the names of purported government agencies.
The case has now been adjourned for the sixth time. The Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC never existed. Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the PFIPC scandal and submit its report within 30 days.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has described the repeated delays as unacceptable. “A case of this magnitude must not be allowed to languish in the courts indefinitely,” Falana said. The opposition has also seized on the scandal, with Atiku Abubakar accusing the Presidency of attempting to shield Gbajabiamila from scrutiny.
The winners: the defence, which has successfully delayed proceedings. The losers: the Nigerian public, which has waited eight months for justice, and the judiciary, which appears unable to expedite a case of national importance.
Bottom Line: Eight months, six adjournments, zero arraignments. Justice delayed is justice denied.