Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of allegedly creating and operating a purported government agency, has finally been brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja for arraignment after several previous attempts to commence his trial were unsuccessful.

Adeyemi was brought into the courtroom at about 2:33 p.m. on Wednesday by a female police officer attached to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC).

He appeared in a white flowing outfit and a white baseball cap. Although he appeared cheerful as he entered the courtroom, he kept his head lowered, with the brim of the cap partially covering his face, as he waited for the case to be called.

His appearance followed a series of failed attempts to arraign him since the case was filed, with the proceedings delayed on different occasions by applications from his lawyers, his failure to appear in court, and the judge’s official engagements.

The matter, which was also scheduled for arraignment on February 3, did not proceed.

Police allege forgery, impersonation

The charges against Adeyemi were filed in November 2025, following his arrest by the police in October of the same year.

His arrest reportedly followed a petition submitted by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the alleged activities of the purported government agency.

The police subsequently charged Adeyemi alongside two other suspects, identified as Femi and Anu, who are said to be at large.

The defendants are facing an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired to produce and use several documents purported to be official government documents.

Among the documents allegedly forged were a presidential appointment letter, State House letterheads, and a conveyance approval relating to the commencement of operations of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Other documents allegedly included requests for approval to open staff accounts and secure office accommodation, as well as correspondence seeking collaboration between the purported council and a federal ministry.

In one of the counts, the prosecution accused Adeyemi of falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.

The alleged offence is said to be punishable under Section 179 of the Penal Code.

Adeyemi has, however, denied the allegations against him.

Police trace 34 bank accounts

During the investigation, police investigators reportedly uncovered correspondence between the purported agency and several government institutions.

The investigators also traced 34 bank accounts allegedly linked to Adeyemi.

According to the police, nine of the accounts were allegedly opened in the names of purported government agencies.

The findings formed part of the investigation into the activities of the alleged fake agency and the documents used in its operations.

Court issues bench warrant

The prosecution’s efforts to arraign Adeyemi took another turn on July 14 when he failed to appear before the court for another scheduled proceeding.

Following an oral application by the prosecution, Justice Umar issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

Adeyemi was subsequently arrested in Osun State, less than 12 hours after the warrant was issued.

He was reportedly traced to a hideout by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) from Abuja before being taken into custody.

The arrest was later confirmed by the police spokesperson, Anietie Iniedu.

Adeyemi remained in police custody pending his appearance before the court on Wednesday.

Lawyer cites fear for his life

At the earlier proceedings, Adeyemi’s lawyer, Genesis Francis, had explained his client’s absence from court, saying the accused feared for his life.

Francis told the court that Adeyemi had written an open letter to President Tinubu over his concerns.

According to the lawyer, Adeyemi’s decision to stay away was motivated by his desire to remain alive to face the allegations against him in court.

The latest appearance marks another stage in the prosecution’s efforts to commence proceedings in the case, which has been delayed on several occasions since the charges were filed in 2025.