The Federal government, through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, has filed a 36-count amended charge against Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew and four others over allegations of forgery, impersonation, corruption and attempts to obtain billions of naira in public funds through a purported presidential agency.
The amended charge, filed before the High Court on Monday in Abuja, alleges that Adeyemi presented himself as the director-general of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the prosecution describes as non-existent, and used purported government documents to seek official recognition, public funding and access to government facilities.
The commission increased the previous charge from 22 to 36 counts and named Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe as co-defendants.
The case, initially instituted by the Nigeria Police, was subsequently taken over by the ICPC.
The amended charge details alleged attempts by Adeyemi to establish the council’s legitimacy through documents purportedly issued by the Presidency, government ministries and state governments. It also outlines allegations of payments to public officers to facilitate access to government offices and administrative processes.
One of the allegations concerns a purported letter dated March 3, 2025, addressed to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, seeking approval and release of a N27.39 billion take-off grant for the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
The prosecution alleged that Adeyemi made and used the document, purportedly issued on State House letterhead, to seek government funding for the council.
Another count alleges that he attempted to secure the inclusion of N3.85 billion in personnel costs for the purported agency in the 2026 budget proposal through representations to the director-general of the Budget Office of the Federation.
The commission also alleged that Adeyemi used purported appointment letters, an executive order and a legislative instrument to present the council as an established government institution.
Among the documents listed in the amended charge is a letter dated March 8, 2024, purportedly signed by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, appointing Adeyemi as the council’s director-general.
The prosecution further alleged that Adeyemi forged an executive order dated February 24, 2023, purportedly establishing the council, as well as a legislative instrument titled Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, to give the agency legal recognition.
The amended charge also contains allegations involving a purported N2.87 billion contract for the procurement of furniture and electronics and the refurbishment of the council director-general’s official residence.
According to the prosecution, Adeyemi obtained N380 million from Oyekunle Gbenga, managing director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, between May and June 2025 under the pretext of a project facilitation loan relating to the purported contract.
He allegedly obtained a further N20 million from the same individual in July 2025 through another company account.
The commission also accused Adeyemi of making payments to public officers to facilitate access to government offices, official vehicles and administrative approvals for the purported council.
In one count, the prosecution alleged that he paid N4.002 million to Abdullahi, an assistant chief technical officer in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to facilitate access to offices at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Abuja.
Another count alleges that Adeyemi paid N560,000 to Harry, a chief accountant in the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, for granting him access to offices and releasing two official vehicles, a Prado Jeep and a Land Cruiser Jeep, without authorisation.
Omameh, an officer in the Inspectorate Department of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, was accused of receiving N250,000 in connection with an inspection of the purported council’s premises for the grant of provisional self-accounting status.
Akhigbe, an assistant director in the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, was also accused of receiving N1.1 million to facilitate the processing of an authorised establishment and recruitment waiver for the council, as well as the submission of its documents to the Budget Office for inclusion in the 2026 Appropriation.
The prosecution further alleged that Akhigbe presented herself as the council’s head of human resources without an approved secondment from her ministry.
Beyond the alleged activities involving federal government offices, the amended charge accuses Adeyemi of using purported appointment documents from the Oyo and Osun state governments to obtain official recognition.
The prosecution alleged that a letter dated December 2, 2019, purportedly introducing him as head of government and chief of staff to the Oyo State Government in Abuja, was forged and presented to Union Bank in support of a salary account transfer.
It also alleged that he used a purported Osun State Government appointment letter and identity card, describing him as a special adviser on protocol, to support an application for an official passport.
Another count concerns an alleged alteration of a January 3, 2023 letter from the Osun State Government to the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service. The prosecution alleged that the original document contained 16 names but was altered to include 13 additional names, including Adeyemi’s.
The proof of evidence lists 43 prosecution witnesses, including Gbajabiamila and representatives of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Budget Office, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission.
Other witnesses include representatives of the banks involved in the alleged transactions, the Corporate Affairs Commission, Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited and a forensic expert.
The prosecution intends to rely on appointment letters, government correspondence, bank statements, budget records, official allocation registers, inspection reports and documents relating to the alleged payments.
The commission also listed Corporate Affairs Commission records showing that World Entrepreneurship University Limited, a company allegedly owned and controlled by Adeyemi, was registered with the commission.
Meanwhile, the arraignment of the defendants on the amended charges could not proceed on Monday because Omameh was absent from court on health grounds.
Prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, told Justice Yusuf Halilu that the fourth defendant was receiving treatment at a hospital in Abuja, making it impossible for the prosecution to proceed with the arraignment of all five defendants.
Relying on Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Tahir argued that an accused person was required to be present in court during criminal proceedings, subject to the exceptions provided by law.
He consequently sought an adjournment to allow Omameh to recover and appear in court to take her plea.
Counsel to Adeyemi, Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the amended charge or the adjournment but urged the court to consider his client’s detention, noting that he had spent more than 200 days in custody.
Justice Halilu adjourned the matter until November 18 for the arraignment of all five defendants.
The judge ordered that Adeyemi be returned to the Kuje Correctional Facility, while the other defendants were to remain in ICPC custody.
The defendants are yet to enter their pleas to the amended charges.
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