The Federal High Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the alleged Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, after he failed to appear for his arraignment.
Justice Mohammed Umar granted the order following an oral application by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Wisdom Madaki, who argued that the defendant had repeatedly failed to honour court summons.
Adeyemi is expected to take his plea on an eight-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation.
Although the case was listed as number 12 on the court’s cause list, the defendant was absent when the matter was called. His counsel, Mr. Genesis Francis, however, announced his appearance before the court.
Addressing the court, the prosecution counsel said the defendant had consistently failed to appear since the case commenced.
“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 said.
Relying on Section 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the prosecutor urged the court to issue a bench warrant to compel the defendant’s appearance.
The application was opposed by the defence counsel, who attributed his client’s absence to alleged threats to his life.
The defence lawyer told the court that Adeyemi had attended proceedings on May 16, when the case was adjourned for arraignment.
In his ruling, Justice Umar observed that the defendant had appeared before the court only once since the charge was filed and had failed to attend four consecutive sittings thereafter.
The judge subsequently issued a bench warrant directing security agencies to arrest Adeyemi and produce him before the court on September 30 for his arraignment.
