FG withdraws charges against ‘fake’ DG Adeniyi Adeyemi, files fresh case

By Tolulope Oke

The Federal Government has withdrawn the eight-count criminal charge against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the alleged fake Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), following the discovery of loopholes in the case.

However, the government has filed fresh charges against Adeyemi before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he is expected to face a new arraignment.

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, struck out the original charges on Monday after the prosecution applied to discontinue proceedings before the court.

The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, told the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had reviewed the case file and identified defects in the charges initially filed by the Inspector-General of Police.

According to Oyedepo, the review established that the alleged forgery offences fell within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.

He informed the judge that fresh charges had already been filed at the appropriate court and that Adeyemi would be arraigned again without delay.

The prosecution consequently requested that the existing charges be struck out to allow the fresh proceedings to commence.

Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, raised no objection to the application.

Justice Umar subsequently granted the request and struck out the eight-count charge.

Adeyemi was standing trial alongside two other suspects whose whereabouts remain unknown over allegations of conspiracy and forgery.

The accused had allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

The court’s decision terminates the proceedings before the Federal High Court but does not bring the Federal Government’s prosecution of Adeyemi to an end.