A Nigerian court in Abuja on Wednesday charged Adeniyi Adeyemi with forgery and impersonation after prosecutors alleged he had created a fictitious government agency and positioned himself as its director‑general.
According to court filings, Adeyemi claimed to be the head of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), an agency the presidency says was neither established nor authorised him to lead. The alleged agency secured office space inside the federal secretariat, obtained a roughly $1 million budget allocation for the year, and attempted to open accounts at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Several government institutions processed its requests believing it was legitimate, exposing gaps in the checks governing public institutions. Adeyemi, dressed in a white kaftan and baseball cap, smiled and chatted with his lawyers before prosecutors read eight charges against him. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and was remanded in prison until his next court appearance on October 12.
Prosecutors say Adeyemi forged an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by his chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and used presidential letterheads to request office space, staff deployments and cooperation from other agencies. Adeyemi denies wrongdoing, claiming the PFIPC was genuine and that he personally approached budget officials to secure its inclusion in government spending plans.
The case has drawn attention for the sheer ambition of the alleged enterprise and for highlighting how official procedures can be bypassed with the right documents and claims of powerful connections. No government officials have been accused of conspiring with Adeyemi, and the chief of staff could not be reached for comment.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with corruption and weak oversight, the court’s decision underscores the need for stronger safeguards in public institutions.
