The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the police and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to grant detained self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, access to his lawyers.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu issued the order on Thursday while ruling on a fundamental rights suit filed on Adeyemi’s behalf.
The judge, however, declined to grant Adeyemi’s requests for his release, bail and access to medical treatment, directing the respondents to first appear before the court and show cause why the reliefs should not be granted.
Justice Egwuatu ordered the IGP, the police and the AGF to show cause within 72 hours and subsequently adjourned the matter until September 9 for the respondents to respond.
Adeyemi had sought six reliefs, including an order directing the respondents to release him from custody and admit him to bail pending the determination of the suit.
He also asked the court to allow him access to medical practitioners of his choice and restrain the police from interrogating him or obtaining any statement from him without his lawyer present.
In his sixth relief, Adeyemi specifically sought an order directing that, for as long as he remained in custody, he be granted “unimpeded access to legal practitioners of his own choosing at all reasonable hours.”
The court granted the relief, directing that Adeyemi be allowed to meet with his lawyers at reasonable hours while in custody.
Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State in July after the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a bench warrant for his arrest over his failure to appear for arraignment.
He is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation over his claim to be the Director-General of the PFIPC, an organisation the Presidency has disowned as “fake.”
The prosecution alleged that Adeyemi forged an appointment letter purportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu and signed by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, among other official documents.
Adeyemi has denied the allegations and maintained that the council exists.
Earlier, Justice Mohammed Umar had ordered security agencies to arrest Adeyemi and produce him in court for arraignment after he repeatedly failed to appear before the court. The court had fixed September 30 for his arraignment.
