The Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to grant bail to the detained Director-General of the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, Adeniyi Mathew Adeyemi.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a ruling on Thursday, declined to admit Adeyemi to bail pending the hearing of the reasons for his detention by the Nigeria Police Force.
The judge ruled that the police and other respondents in the case must be given an opportunity to respond to the detainee’s application before the court can determine whether he should be released.
Justice Egwuatu said hearing from the respondents was necessary in the interest of fair hearing.
The ruling followed an ex-parte application argued by Adeyemi’s lawyer, Mohammed Abdulazeez.
Although the court refused to grant bail at this stage, Justice Egwuatu ordered that Adeyemi should have unhindered access to his lawyers. The access is expected to allow him to prepare for his defence against any charge that may be brought against him.
Adeyemi had approached the court through his lawyer, seeking several orders against the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force and an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, who were listed as the first to fourth respondents.
The suit, signed by another lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, contained six reliefs sought by the detainee.
Among other things, Adeyemi asked the court to grant him bail and order his release from police detention.
He also asked the court to allow him to seek medical attention from health practitioners of his choice because of alleged ill health.
In another request, he sought an order stopping the police and other officers or agents from interrogating him or forcing him to make, adopt or sign any statement except in the presence of a lawyer of his choice.
He further asked the court to order that, for as long as he remained in custody, the police should allow him access to his legal practitioners at all reasonable hours.
In an affidavit filed in support of the application, Adeyemi’s elder brother, Adeniyi Adebola, explained that the detainee was unable to appear before a Commissioner for Oaths because he was in detention.
The case is coming amid an ongoing criminal prosecution of Adeyemi by the police.
The police are prosecuting him in a criminal charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025 before another judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar.
The charges are said to involve allegations bordering on forgery and impersonation, among other offences.
The criminal case has been affected by Adeyemi’s failure to appear for scheduled court proceedings.
In July, Justice Umar issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear before the court for a scheduled proceeding.
The judge later fixed September 30 for his arraignment.
Adeyemi’s latest legal action before Justice Egwuatu is separate from the criminal proceedings before Justice Umar. His bail application was focused on his detention and the conditions under which he is being held by the police.
The court’s decision means that Adeyemi will remain in detention for now, while the police and other respondents are expected to present their position on the application.
The judge’s order granting him access to his lawyers, however, provides the detainee with the opportunity to consult with his legal team while in custody.
The dispute is linked to the activities of the organisation Adeyemi allegedly headed, described by authorities as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The alleged fake council has attracted legal attention because of claims surrounding its identity and operations. The use of government-related names or titles by unauthorised persons can raise concerns about impersonation, especially where members of the public or foreign organisations may be made to believe that such bodies have official government backing.
Forgery and impersonation are serious criminal allegations under Nigerian law, and a person facing such allegations is entitled to legal representation and a fair hearing.
The principle of fair hearing also requires courts to give parties affected by an application an opportunity to present their side before a final decision is made. This was the basis of Justice Egwuatu’s decision not to immediately grant Adeyemi bail on the ex-parte application.
The court will now have to hear from the police and the other respondents before determining the next step on the bail request.
Adeyemi’s lawyers had also raised concerns about his health and sought permission for him to receive medical care from doctors of his choice. The issue forms part of the reliefs before the court.
Meanwhile, the September 30 date fixed by Justice Umar remains significant to the criminal case against Adeyemi. His arraignment will give the court an opportunity to formally take the charges against him and allow him to respond to them.
Until the allegations are proved in court, Adeyemi remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.
The latest ruling therefore does not determine his guilt or innocence. It only means that his request for immediate bail was not granted at this stage.
The Federal High Court is expected to continue dealing with the various legal issues surrounding the case as the police prosecution proceeds.
For now, the court has balanced the police’s right to respond to the bail application with Adeyemi’s right to legal representation by ordering unhindered access to his lawyers.
The development keeps Adeyemi in custody while the court awaits the response of the police and other respondents before making a further decision on his request for release.