Gbajabiamila Appears Before ICPC Over Alleged PFIPC Fraud Probe

Gbajabiamila Appears Before ICPC Over Alleged PFIPC Fraud Probe
Chief of Staff denied all corruption allegations against him.
Reps panel also investigating PFIPC and budget allocation.

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Monday honoured an invitation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as part of the ongoing investigation into allegations surrounding the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Gbajabiamila’s lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, confirmed the development in a statement, saying the presidential aide appeared before the anti-graft agency in compliance with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that all allegations relating to the controversial agency be thoroughly investigated.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that according to Ogunye, Gbajabiamila arrived at the ICPC headquarters at about 3:00 p.m., where he answered questions from investigators before returning to his official duties.

He said, “In full cooperation with the ICPC acting as directed by the President of Nigeria, I hereby confirm that my client, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria, responded to the invitation of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and appeared at about 15:00hrs on Monday, July 20, 2026, as part of the ongoing investigation into the activities of the ‘PFIPC’ fake agency, among others.

“My client gave his testimony, responded to questions accordingly, and has returned to his duty post.”

The controversy began after Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, alleged during a press conference that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of the agency’s purported ₦27.3 billion take-off grant.

Adeyemi further alleged that the Chief of Staff received ₦400 million through a proxy and later demanded an additional ₦200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.

Gbajabiamila has consistently denied the allegations, describing them as false and unfounded.

In a sworn statement, the Chief of Staff maintained that he had no personal, official or professional relationship with Adeyemi. He also denied demanding or receiving any money, abusing his office or interfering with any law enforcement agency.

He equally dismissed allegations linking him to the alleged death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom Adeyemi claimed acted as an intermediary, as well as claims of an assassination attempt and interference in ongoing investigations.

Following the allegations, President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate the matter.

Last week, Gbajabiamila filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

In the suit, the Chief of Staff is seeking ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages and ₦200 million as the cost of the action. He is also asking the court to compel Adeyemi to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the alleged defamatory statements were circulated.

Through his legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, Gbajabiamila described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.

Adeyemi was later arrested by the police in Osun State after a court issued a bench warrant for his arrest over his failure to appear for arraignment.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has inaugurated a 12-member ad hoc committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the disputed agency and its inclusion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

The committee is also expected to probe the alleged allocation of ₦1.3 billion to what lawmakers described as an illegal government agency.

Speaking during the inauguration, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, said the investigation was aimed at uncovering the facts surrounding the allocation and was not intended to serve any political interest.

Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, assured Nigerians that the panel would conduct a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation.