The Federal Government has filed a fresh 36-count amended charge against the embattled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeyemi Adeniyi, and four others over alleged forgery, false representation and fraud.

Adeniyi appeared alongside his co-defendants before Justice Halilu Yusuf of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday.

However, their arraignment on the fresh charges could not proceed due to the absence of the fourth defendant, Florence Omemah, who was reportedly ill.

Prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, informed the court that Ms Omemah was receiving treatment at a hospital in Abuja.

He subsequently requested a seven-day adjournment to enable her to recover and appear in court to take her plea.

Counsel to Mr Adeniyi, Ibrahim Angulu, however, urged the court to grant a shorter adjournment to allow him to pursue bail for his client. He also told the court that Mr Adeniyi had been in detention for more than 200 days.

In a brief ruling, Justice Yusuf adjourned the case until November 18 for the arraignment of all the defendants.

The judge further ordered that Mr Adeniyi be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, while the other defendants should remain in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Alleged Fake Government Agency

The case centres on allegations that Adeniyi established a fictitious federal agency known as the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and falsely presented himself as its director-general.

Investigators alleged that the agency had no legal backing and that Mr Adeniyi forged appointment letters and signatures attributed to the Chief of Staff to the President to legitimise his purported position.

According to investigators, he occupied offices previously used by the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and allegedly held unauthorised meetings with foreign diplomats.

He was also accused of seeking official visa documentation for United States visas and operating 34 bank accounts.

Investigators further alleged that he exploited loopholes in the civil service system to secure a proposed allocation of ₦1.302 billion for the fictitious agency in the 2026 budget.

ICPC Uncovers Other Alleged Fake Agencies

Following an interim report presented to President Bola Tinubu, the ICPC reportedly uncovered two other allegedly fictitious agencies linked to Mr Adeniyi: the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency.

The commission also recommended disciplinary action against some public officials suspected of assisting the alleged scheme.

In October 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out the initial eight-count charge after jurisdictional concerns prompted the Attorney-General of the Federation to withdraw the case.

The ICPC subsequently filed a fresh 36-count amended charge, bringing additional defendants into the case over their alleged involvement in the scheme.

Mr Adeniyi has pleaded not guilty to the allegations of fraud, forgery and impersonation. He remains in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre as the case proceeds. Channels