The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday struck out the eight-count criminal charge filed by the Federal Government against Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is accused of falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar struck out the charge following an application by the Federal Government seeking to transfer the case to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory for a fresh arraignment.
At the proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, moved the application on behalf of the government, explaining that a review of the case had revealed issues requiring the matter to be prosecuted before a different court.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had examined Adeyemi’s case file and the charge initially instituted by the Inspector-General of Police.
According to the DPPF, the review identified certain loopholes in the case, including questions concerning the appropriate court to handle the alleged offences.
He argued that the documents Adeyemi was accused of forging while allegedly operating the purported agency involved offences that fell within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.
The prosecution informed the court that a fresh charge had already been filed before the FCT High Court and that Adeyemi would be arraigned afresh without delay.
Oyedepo consequently urged Justice Umar to strike out the existing charge in accordance with the law to allow the prosecution to proceed before the appropriate court.
Counsel to Adeyemi, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the application.
Following the absence of opposition from the defence, Justice Umar granted the application and struck out the eight-count charge.
Adeyemi, 38, had been standing trial in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2025 alongside two other defendants, identified only as Femi and Anu, whose whereabouts were unknown.
The charges against the defendants included conspiracy and forgery in connection with the alleged operation of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The two other defendants were said to be at large, with their full surnames not provided in the court proceedings.
The latest decision effectively ends the prosecution of the existing charge before the Federal High Court, but it does not amount to an acquittal of Adeyemi on the allegations.
Instead, the Federal Government’s application was intended to enable the prosecution to pursue the allegations through a fresh arraignment before the FCT High Court, which it considers the appropriate forum for the case.
Adeyemi is expected to face the fresh charge before the new court, where the allegations will be addressed through the judicial process.
The outcome of the proceedings will depend on the evidence presented by the prosecution and the determination of the court handling the fresh case.
