A fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Adeniyi Adeyemi, Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), suffered a setback on Thursday as the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered that the case be returned to the registry for reassignment.
Adeyemi, through his lawyer, Ademola Oyedokun, had sued the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force and an Assistant Inspector-General of Police as the first to fourth respondents respectively.
Adeyemi, who is currently in police custody, is seeking six reliefs before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, including an order admitting him to bail and directing his release from detention.
He is also seeking permission to obtain medical treatment from health practitioners of his choice, as well as an order restraining the police and other officers or agents from interrogating him or compelling him to make, adopt or sign any statement without the presence of a lawyer of his choice.
Adeyemi further wants the court to order that he be granted unhindered access to his lawyers at all reasonable hours for as long as he remains in custody.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Egwuatu had, on September 3, declined to grant Adeyemi bail or permit him to seek medical attention from health practitioners of his choice.
The judge, while ruling on an ex-parte application filed by Adeyemi’s lawyer, Muhammad Abdulazeez, held that the police and other respondents needed to be heard in the interest of fair hearing.
Justice Egwuatu, however, granted Adeyemi access to his lawyers and adjourned the case until September 9 for the respondents to show cause why the reliefs sought should not be granted.
The matter could not proceed on Wednesday because the applicant had been unable to serve the respondents. It was subsequently fixed for Thursday.
Although the AGF’s lawyer, Mercy Akeredolu, appeared in court on Wednesday after learning about the case through social media, no counsel appeared for the police when the matter was called on Thursday.
Abdulazeez informed the court that the case was scheduled for the respondents to show cause why the applicant’s requests should not be granted.
He told the court that all the respondents had been duly served in compliance with its previous order and that he was ready to proceed.
The registrar confirmed from the court records that the proof of service and the order to show cause had been served on the respondents on September 8.
However, when the judge asked whether the hearing notice for Thursday’s proceedings had also been served, the registrar confirmed that it had been served on September 9.
Justice Egwuatu subsequently observed that the proof of service for the hearing notice had not been sworn to before a commissioner for oaths. The judge consequently described the proof of service as “incompetent”.
When the court file was shown to Abdulazeez, the lawyer acknowledged the defect and requested a short adjournment to enable him to correct it.
Justice Egwuatu, however, noted that the respondents were still within the time allowed to respond to the order to show cause, which had only been served on September 8.
He also noted that the court’s vacation was nearing its end and directed that the case file be returned to the registry for reassignment.
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According to reports, the police are separately prosecuting Adeyemi in a criminal case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025 over allegations including forgery and impersonation before another judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Mohammed Umar.
Justice Umar had in July issued a warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest following his failure to appear for scheduled proceedings. The judge subsequently fixed September 30 for his arraignment.
Adeyemi was later arrested by the police and has remained in custody pending his arraignment.
The police charged Adeyemi alongside two other defendants identified as “Femi Surname Unknown” and “Anu Surname Unknown”.
Among the witnesses listed by the prosecution are the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and officials of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Investigators also alleged that Adeyemi operated the purported agency from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja before his arrest.
