Court throws out fundamental rights suit filed by controversial PFIPC DG

A fundamental rights case filed by Adeniyi Adeyemi, Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), suffered a setback at the Federal High Court on Thursday.

Adeyemi had instituted the suit against the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Nigeria Police Force and an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, listed as the first to fourth respondents respectively.

Described in the case as an alleged fake Director-General, Adeyemi, through his lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, approached Justice Obiora Egwuatu seeking six reliefs in the fundamental rights enforcement suit.

The development on Thursday, however, dealt a blow to his legal action, although the details of the court’s decision were not contained in the information provided.

Adeyemi, who is currently in police custody, had prayed the court to admit him to bail, release him from detention and allow him to seek medical attention from health practitioners of his own choice over his alleged ill health.

He also sought an order restraining the police or any other officers or agents from interrogating him or directing him to make, adopt or sign any statement, save in the presence of a legal practitioner of his own choice.

He equally sought an order that, for so long as he remains in custody, he should be given unimpeded access to legal practitioners of his own choice at all reasonable hours.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Egwuatu had, on Sept. 3, declined to admit Adeyemi to bail or grant his prayer to seek medical attention from health practitioners of his own choice.

The judge, in a ruling on an ex-parte motion moved by Adeyemi’s lawyer, Muhammad Abdulazeez, held that there was the need to hear from the police and other respondents in the suit in the interest of fair hearing.

He, however, granted a relief for the police to give Adeyemi unhindered access to his lawyers and adjourned the case until Sept. 9 for the respondents to show cause why the detainee’s reliefs should not be granted.

The matter could not be heard on Wednesday due to the applicant’s inability to serve the respondents, and the case was fixed for today.

Although AGF’s lawyer, Mercy Akeredolu, who said she got to know about the case on social media, was also in court the previous day.

When the matter was called on Thursday, only Adeyemi’s counsel, Abdulazeez, and AGF’s lawyer, Akeredolu, were in court.

No lawyer appeared for the police.

Abduazeez then informed the court that the matter was slated for the respondents to show cause why their request should not be granted.

He said as ordered by the court the previous day, all the respondents had been duly served and he was ready to proceed.

The registrar confirmed from the court record that the proof of service and the order to show cause were served on the respondents on Sept. 8.

The judge then asked the registrar to also confirm if the hearing notice for today’s sitting was served on the respondents, and he confirmed that it was served on Sept. 9.

Justice Egwuatu, however, observed from the proof of service of the hearing notice that it was not deposed to before a commissioner of oaths.

The judge described the proof of service as “incompetent”.

When the court file was shown to Abdulazeez, he admitted the proof of service was incompetent.

The lawyer, therefore, sought a short date of adjournment so that they could do the needful.

The judge told him that since the respondents were still within time to respond to the order to show cause, which was just served on them on Sept. 8, and since the court vacation would be ending, it would be better if the case were remitted back to the registry for reassignment.

Justice Egwuatu, therefore, ordered that the case file be sent back to the registry for reassignment.

NAN reports that the police, in a criminal charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, are prosecuting Adeyemi over allegations bordering on forgery and impersonation, among others, before another brother judge, Justice Mohammed Umar.

Justice Umar had, in July, issued an arrest warrant against Adeyemi following his absence from scheduled proceedings.

The judge then fixed Sept. 30 for his arraignment.

After the issuance of an arrest warrant, Adeyemi was later apprehended by the police and had been in custody, pending his arraignment.

The police, in the criminal charge, named Adeyemi, “Femi Surname Unknown”, and “Anu Surname Unknown” as the 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively.

In the police processes before Justice Umar, the prosecution lined up several witnesses, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, etc., to give evidence in the case.

Investigators alleged that Adeyemi operated the purported agency from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja before his arrest. (NAN)

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