The Federal High Court in Abuja has returned a fundamental rights suit filed by detained Adeniyi Adeyemi for reassignment after finding that the respondents’ 72-hour response period had not expired.
Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), is challenging his continued detention and seeking several orders to protect his fundamental rights.
The matter came before Justice Obiora Egwuatu on Thursday. Adeyemi’s lawyer, Muhammad Abdulaziz, told the court that all respondents had been served and that his client was ready for the hearing.
However, the registrar informed the court that the relevant order was served on September 8, while the hearing notice was served the following day.
Justice Egwuatu noted that the 72-hour period was still running. He also questioned whether the proof of service for the hearing notice had been properly sworn.
The judge subsequently directed that the case file be returned to the registry for reassignment. He asked the applicant to return after the response period expires and the matter becomes ripe for hearing.
Adeyemi is seeking six major reliefs, including his release and bail pending the determination of his criminal case.
He also wants access to medical practitioners of his choice and an order preventing police interrogation or statement-taking without his lawyer present.
The court had earlier declined to grant the substantive requests on an ex parte basis, opting instead to give the respondents an opportunity to respond.
It nevertheless ordered authorities to allow Adeyemi access to lawyers of his choice at reasonable hours while in custody.
Adeyemi was arrested in Osun State in July after a Federal High Court bench warrant was issued over his repeated failure to appear for arraignment.
He is facing an eight-count charge involving alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation linked to his claim of heading the PFIPC.
The Presidency has disowned the organisation, describing it as “fake.”
Adeyemi is expected to be arraigned on September 30. The latest court decision does not address the merits of his fundamental rights claims, but only allows the respondents to complete the 72-hour period before the case proceeds.
