The man accused of forging government appointment letters and allegedly posing as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, has denied the allegations against him, claiming that influential figures within the Presidency are plotting against him.
Speaking in an interview with Premium Times from an undisclosed location, Adeyemi said he had gone into hiding over fears for his safety.
“They are after my life. I have gone underground because I don’t consider myself safe,” he said.
Adeyemi maintained that the organisation he heads was lawfully established in 2024 and alleged that the government’s actions were aimed at silencing him. However, he declined to present any appointment letter or official document supporting his claim, explaining that his legal team had advised him not to comment further until the ongoing court proceedings are concluded.
The Presidency had earlier disowned both the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, insisting that neither body exists as a government agency.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga disclosed that Adeyemi and two others are standing trial before the Federal High Court on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation and related offences.
According to the Presidency, investigations began after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised concerns over an organisation allegedly performing functions similar to those legally assigned to the commission.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, subsequently petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, alleging that forged appointment letters bearing fake signatures, official seals and reference numbers were used to present the suspects as presidential appointees.
Investigators further alleged that Adeyemi and his associates operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, where they reportedly held meetings with Nigerian and foreign officials and sought diplomatic support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for visa applications.
Police reportedly arrested Adeyemi on October 27, 2025. Searches conducted at his office and residence allegedly uncovered forged government documents, while financial investigators linked him to 34 bank accounts, including some reportedly opened in the names of non-existent government agencies.
The Presidency also alleged that Adeyemi used forged documents to open a Central Bank of Nigeria account in the name of the purported agency. Investigators, however, said no public funds were traced to the account.
Responding to Adeyemi’s allegation that the President’s Chief of Staff demanded money from him, Onanuga dismissed the claim as an afterthought, noting that it only emerged after the defendant was granted police bail.
The matter has been adjourned until July 27, 2026, when proceedings will resume before the Federal High Court.