Police nab ‘Phantom Council’ DG in Osun hours after court issues bench warrant
The controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) has taken a dramatic turn following the arrest of its Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, in Osun State.
His arrest came just hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja issued a bench warrant on Tuesday, mandating security agencies to track down and produce him in court for his arraignment.
Presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, ordered the immediate arrest of Adeyemi after he failed to appear in court to face an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, fraud, and impersonation. The charges are marked under the suit file FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025.
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The prosecution counsel, Wisdom Madaki, had made an oral application for a bench warrant, citing the defendant’s repeated absence.
”My lord, this is the fifth time this case is coming up, and all the adjournments have been at the instance of the defendant,” Madaki lamented.
Relying on Section 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the prosecution urged the court to compel the defendant’s appearance through an arrest warrant. Despite the case being listed as number 12 on the court’s cause list, Adeyemi was noticeably absent, represented instead by defence counsel Genesis Francis.
Defense claims “threats to life”
Opposing the arrest warrant, the defence lawyer, Francis, argued that his client’s absence was not out of disrespect for the court but due to severe security concerns. He stated that Adeyemi had only appeared once—on May 16—since the proceedings commenced, and had since been in hiding due to credible threats to his life.
”The defendant is afraid for his life. He has to be alive to be able to face trial. They have been looking for him even without an order of court,” Francis pleaded.
In a swift and dry response to the defence’s safety concerns, Justice Umar remarked that ”The court will help him be alive.”
Justice Umar noted that although the charges were filed on November 27, 2025, and proceedings commenced on December 4, 2025, the defendant had only shown up once and had missed four consecutive court dates. The judge subsequently ordered security forces to arrest Adeyemi and present him in court on September 30 to take his plea.
Before his arrest in Osun State, Adeyemi had granted an interview on national television defending his absence. He vehemently denied evading justice, insisting that he was only staying off the radar to preserve his life, especially following the “controversial” death of an intermediary named Tanimola.
However, Adeyemi dropped heavy allegations during the broadcast, maintaining that he paid a N400 million bribe through a proxy to Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, to secure his appointment as the DG of the PFIPC.
Adeyemi revealed that the individuals from whom he borrowed the N400 million have dragged him before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his failure to repay them.
While critics label the PFIPC a “phantom” organization, Adeyemi insisted the council is legitimate. He called for an independent, multi-stakeholder panel to investigate the controversial insertion of N1.3 billion for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
With Adeyemi now in custody, the stage is set for a high-profile legal showdown on September 30, which promises to shed more light on the inner workings and alleged corruption surrounding the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
