A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a warrant for the arrest of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), over allegations of forgery, fraud and impersonation.
Justice Mohammed Umar gave the order after the prosecution requested the defendant’s arrest following his failure to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment.
Adeyemi was expected to take his plea on an eight-count charge involving alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation. However, despite the case being listed for hearing, he was absent from court, although his lawyer, Genesis Francis, appeared on his behalf.
The prosecution informed the court that this was the fifth time the matter had come up and argued that previous adjournments had all resulted from the defendant’s repeated absence.
Relying on the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the prosecution urged the court to issue a warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest to ensure his appearance for trial.
Opposing the application, the defence counsel argued that his client had stayed away from court because of alleged threats to his life. He maintained that Adeyemi had attended an earlier court session and claimed that concerns over his safety prevented him from appearing again.
After hearing arguments from both parties, Justice Umar ruled in favour of the prosecution, noting that although the case had been filed in November 2025, the defendant had only appeared in court once and had failed to attend four consecutive hearings afterward.
The judge subsequently ordered security agencies to arrest Adeyemi and produce him before the court on September 30 for his arraignment.
The court also listed several individuals expected to testify during the trial, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside other witnesses and public officials.
