A fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, suffered a setback on Thursday.
Mr Adeyemi sued the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General of Police(IG), Nigeria Police Force and Assistant-Inspector General of Police as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.
The alleged fake DG, through his lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, sought six reliefs before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
Mr Adeyemi, who is currently in police custody, prayed the court to admit him to bail, release him from detention and allow him to seek medical attention from health practitioners of his own choice over his alleged ill health.
He also sought an order retsraining the police or any other officers or agents from interrogating him or directing him to make, adopt or sign any statement, save in the presence of a legal practitioner of his own choice.
He equally sought an order that, for so long as he remains in custody, he should be given unimpeded access to legal practitioners of his own choice at all reasonable hours.
Justice Egwuatu on September 3, declined to admit Mr Adeyemi to bail or grant his prayer to seek medical attention from health practitioners of his own choice.
The judge, in a ruling on an ex-parte motion moved by Mr Adeyemi’s lawyer, Muhammad Abdulazeez, held that there was the need to hear from the police and other respondents in the suit in the interest of fair hearing.
He, however, granted a relief for the police to give Mr Adeyemi an unhindered access to his lawyers and adjourned the case until September 9 for the respondents to show cause why the detainee’s reliefs should not be granted.
The matter could not be heard on Wednesday, due to the applicant’s inability to serve the respondents and the case was fixed for today.
The AGF’s lawyer, Mercy Akeredolu, who said she got to know about the case on social media, was also in court the previous day.
When the matter was called on Thursday, only Mr Adeyemi’s counsel, Abdulazeez, and AGF’s lawyer, Akeredolu, were in court.
No lawyer appeared for the police.
Mr Abdulazeez then informed the court that the matter was slated for the respondents to show cause why their request should not be granted.
He said as ordered by the court the previous day, all the respondents had been duly served and he was ready to proceed.
The registrar confirmed from the court record that the proof of service and the order to show cause were served on the respondents on September 8.
The judge then asked the registrar to also confirm if the hearing notice for today’s sitting was served on the respondents and he confirmed that it was served on September 9.
Justice Egwuatu, however, observed from the proof of service of the hearing notice that it was not deposed to before a commissioner of oaths.
The judge described the proof of service as “incompetent.”
When the court file was shown to Mr Abdulazeez, he admitted the proof of service was incompetent.
The lawyer, therefore, sought a short date of adjournment so that they could do the needful.
The judge told him that since the respondents were still within time to respond to the order to show cause which was just served on them on September 8 and since the court vacation would be ending, it would be better the case is remitted to the registry for reassignment.
Justice Egwuatu, therefore, ordered that the case file be sent back to the registry for reassignment.
The police, in a criminal charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, is prosecuting Mr Adeyemi over allegations bordering on forgery, impersonation, among others, before another judge, Justice Mohammed Umar.
Justice Umar had, in July, issued an arrest warrant against Mr Adeyemi following his absence from scheduled proceedings.
The judge then fixed September 30 for his arraignment.
After the issuance of arrest warrant, Mr Adeyemi was later apprehended by the police and had been in custody, pending his arraignment.
The police, in the criminal charge, named Mr Adeyemi, “Femi Surname Unknown,” and “Anu Surname Unknown” as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
In the police processes before Justice Umar, the prosecution lined up several witnesses, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, etc, to give evidence in the case.
Investigators alleged that Mr Adeyemi operated the purported agency from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja before his arrest.
(NAN)
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