A fundamental rights suit filed by Adeniyi Adeyemi, Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), suffered a procedural setback on Thursday after the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the case returned to the registry for reassignment.
Adeyemi, who is currently in police custody, instituted the action against the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force and an Assistant Inspector-General of Police.
Through his legal team, he is asking the court to order his release from detention or admit him to bail, while also allowing him access to medical treatment from doctors of his choice.
He is also seeking protection against being questioned or compelled to make, adopt or sign statements without the presence of a lawyer chosen by him.
Another relief sought by Adeyemi is unrestricted access to his legal representatives at reasonable hours for as long as he remains in custody.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu had earlier declined to immediately grant the requests for bail and independent medical treatment when an ex-parte application was presented before the court on September 3.
The judge held that the police and other respondents should first be given an opportunity to respond before the court could determine the requests.
The court, however, directed the police to ensure that Adeyemi had unhindered access to his lawyers and ordered the respondents to show cause why the other reliefs sought by the applicant should not be granted.
Proceedings were initially scheduled for September 9 but could not go ahead because the respondents had not been properly served.
When the matter resumed on Thursday, Adeyemi was represented by Muhammad Abdulazeez, while Mercy Akeredolu appeared for the Attorney-General of the Federation. No counsel appeared for the police.
Abdulazeez informed the court that all the respondents had since been served and said the applicant was ready to proceed.
The court registrar confirmed that the respondents were served with the relevant processes and the order to show cause on September 8. The registrar also confirmed that hearing notices for Thursday’s proceedings were served on September 9.
Justice Egwuatu, however, detected a defect in the proof of service relating to the hearing notice.
According to the judge, the document had not been sworn before a commissioner for oaths, rendering it incompetent for the purpose of establishing proper service.
After examining the court record, Adeyemi’s lawyer acknowledged the defect and asked for a short adjournment to regularise the process.
Justice Egwuatu declined to continue with the matter, noting that the respondents were still within the period allowed to respond to the order to show cause.
The judge also observed that the court’s annual vacation was coming to an end and consequently directed that the case file be returned to the registry for reassignment to another judge.
Adeyemi is separately facing criminal proceedings before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025, the police accuse him of offences bordering on alleged forgery and impersonation, among other allegations.
Justice Umar had issued a warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest in July after he failed to appear for scheduled proceedings.
He was subsequently arrested and has remained in police custody ahead of his planned arraignment on September 30.
The charge lists Adeyemi alongside two other defendants identified in the police processes as “Femi, surname unknown” and “Anu, surname unknown.”
Police investigators allege that Adeyemi operated the PFIPC from the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja.
The prosecution has also listed several proposed witnesses, including Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila and officials of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, who are expected to testify if the criminal trial proceeds.