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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to direct the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to place Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is linked to the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), on a “watchlist and no-fly list” pending the conclusion of investigations and prosecution over the alleged diversion of substantial sums, including N1.3 billion.
This is according to an ex parte motion filed by Fatima A. Bardi, Esq., counsel to the ICPC, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1521/2026 and seen by Nairametrics.
A no-fly list is a government- or airline-approved database of individuals who are prohibited from boarding commercial aircraft.
ICPC seeks travel restrictions on Adeyemi
According to the application dated July 2026, the ICPC wants the court to restrain and prevent Adeyemi from travelling out of and/or departing the jurisdiction of the Court by any means whatsoever, pending the conclusion of its investigation into the activities of the PFIPC and any prosecution arising therefrom.
The anti-graft agency also sought an order directing Adeniyi to surrender and deposit all his international passports and travel documents with the applicant pending the conclusion of the said investigation and any resultant prosecution.
- “An order directing the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and all other relevant security and law enforcement agencies to give full effect to the orders of this Honourable Court,” the motion partly reads.
The ICPC urged the court to hold that the no-fly and watch list order shall subsist for a period of 90 days in the first instance, subject to renewal upon application, or until the conclusion of the ICPC investigation and any resultant prosecution, whichever is earlier.
Citing the affidavit in support of the ex parte application, David Efut Nelson, an Anti-Corruption Assistant Officer with the Commission, stated that available information from the investigation indicates that the respondent allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC, an entity which, according to the ICPC, is alleged to have no lawful establishment, presidential assent, executive approval or statutory foundation.
- “The Respondent is under investigation for allegations of impersonation of public officers, forgery and use of forged appointment letters and government documents, false representation, obtaining by false pretence, conspiracy, financial misconduct and the operation of a fictitious Federal Government agency,” he added.
- He also alleged that, in the course of the alleged scheme, Adeyemi is being investigated in connection with “the operation of thirty-four (34) bank accounts, nine (9) of which were opened in fictitious agency names, and with financial dealings involving substantial sums, including a budget line of approximately N1.3 billion appearing in the 2026 Appropriation Act.”
The official explained that there is a related charge in respect of substantially the same facts pending before the Federal High Court, claiming that the ICPC’s investigation is separate from, broader than and independent of the said charge.
He argued that the investigation further revealed that Adeyemi allegedly sought diplomatic support and visa facilitation through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including a request for a note verbale to a foreign mission to facilitate travel, and engaged with foreign delegations, all of which demonstrate his alleged international connections, means and propensity to travel outside the jurisdiction.
At the resumed hearing of the ex parte application, during which the registrar mentioned the case, there was no legal representation, particularly from the ICPC.
Based on the non-appearance of a lawyer in the matter, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the hearing to November 10, 2026.
PFIPC controversy and previous court action
The PFIPC controversy gained national attention after Adeniyi Adeyemi publicly claimed that he had been appointed to head the organisation.
Nairametrics reports that Adeyemi is to be arraigned before Justice Umar Mohammed today on a criminal charge linked to the PFIPC, after an arrest warrant was issued against him by the same judge.
Nairametrics previously reported that the court, per Justice Obiora Egwatu, had ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Nigeria Police Force to permit Adeniyi Adeyemi to have “unimpeded access to lawyers of his own choosing at all reasonable hours.”
The said judge subsequently referred the matter to the Chief Judge, as he was a vacation judge.
In mid-July, Adeyemi said he borrowed N400 million to finance what he described as the processing of his appointment, alleging that payments were made through intermediaries and that additional money was later requested.
He also denied wrongdoing and attempted to link senior officials in the Presidency to the controversy.
President Tinubu had earlier directed the ICPC to investigate the PFIPC after allegations emerged that forged appointment letters and other government documents were used to create the impression of a legitimate federal agency.
In early August, the ICPC told President Tinubu, via its interim report, that the agency (PFIPC) was never established by the Federal Government and that the appointment letter presented by its self-acclaimed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, was forged.
In late August, President Tinubu ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of Federal Government systems, including the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), following findings on ghost workers, alleged fake agencies and other control weaknesses.
