Court strikes out forgery charge against alleged fake PFIPC DG Adeyemi

The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an eight-count forgery charge against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who was accused of parading himself as the Director-General of the alleged non-existent Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the charge on Monday following an application by the Federal Government to withdraw the case.

The government, represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation had reviewed the case file and identified loopholes that necessitated the withdrawal of the charge.

Oyedepo said the government planned to transfer the case to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory for a fresh arraignment.

He explained that the alleged offences involving the documents Adeyemi was accused of forging could be prosecuted at the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.

Counsel to the defendant, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the prosecution’s application.

The charge was initially filed by the police before the Attorney-General of the Federation took over the prosecution at the previous adjourned sitting.

Adeyemi had been in detention since July 14, following his arrest on the strength of a bench warrant issued by the court. He was arraigned on allegations bordering on forgery, fraud and impersonation, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Following his plea, the court ordered his remand at Kuje Prison and scheduled the case for hearing.

The defendant had also applied for bail, telling the court that he was suffering from a contagious ailment that required urgent medical attention from his doctors.

However, the prosecution opposed the application, arguing that the government had adequate facilities to cater for his medical needs.

The planned hearing of the bail application was overtaken by the withdrawal of the charge.

Those earlier listed as witnesses in the case included the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.

Other proposed witnesses were civil servants in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.