BREAKING: Court Strikes Out Charges Against ‘Fake’ Agency DG Adeyemi Who Accused Tinubu Aide Gbajabiamila Of N600m Bribe
The Federal High Court in Abuja today Monday struck out the eight-count forgery charge against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the controversial Director-General of the equally controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Adeyemi had claimed he paid President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, through emissaries, N600 million to secure the post.
Gbajabiamila has denied the claim and said he actually blew the whistle on the fake “agency” and sought its investigation by the security agencies and the police.
Among those earlier listed as prospective prosecution witnesses in the court case were Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.
Other proposed witnesses included civil servants in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the charge on Monday following an application by the Federal Government to withdraw the case.
The government was represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who told the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had reviewed the case file and identified loopholes that informed the decision to discontinue the proceedings.
Oyedepo said the government planned to transfer the case to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for Adeyemi’s fresh arraignment.
He also argued that the alleged forged documents could be prosecuted at the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.
The application to strike out the charge was not opposed by Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN.
The case was initially instituted by the police before the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation took over the prosecution at the previous adjourned sitting.
Adeyemi, who had been in detention since July 14 following his arrest on the strength of a bench warrant issued by the court, was arraigned on allegations bordering on forgery, fraud and impersonation.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges, after which the court ordered his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The defendant had also sought bail, citing a contagious ailment that he said required urgent medical attention from his personal doctors.
However, the prosecution opposed the application, insisting that government facilities were adequate to address his medical needs.
The scheduled hearing of the bail application was overtaken by the withdrawal of the charge.
