(Femi Gbajabiamila. Photo by Guardian Nigeria News)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, was questioned as part of its ongoing investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal, but stressed that he was not arrested.
The clarification came on Tuesday after Gbajabiamila appeared at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
The anti-graft agency explained that the presidential aide had honoured an invitation from investigators to help establish how the purported agency operated for nearly two years within the Federal Secretariat despite not being created by any law or presidential proclamation.
In a statement issued by the ICPC’s Head of Media and Public Communications, Demola Bakare, the commission said Gbajabiamila voluntarily appeared before investigators and answered questions relating to the probe, noting that he arrived at the commission in the afternoon and spent some time attending to enquiries before departing the premises.
The commission stressed that his appearance should not be interpreted as an arrest, explaining that the visit was carried out on the invitation of its investigators and was consistent with its ongoing efforts to gather all relevant facts, adding that he willingly honoured the invitation and was not arrested.
It said the investigation remains ongoing and promised further updates when necessary, though it did not disclose details of the questions put to him during the session.
The commission’s statement came a day after Gbajabiamila’s lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, confirmed that his client had honoured the invitation in compliance with President Tinubu’s directive ordering a full investigation into the fake agency scandal.
According to Ogunye, the Chief of Staff arrived at the ICPC headquarters at about 3:00 p.m. on Monday, cooperated fully with investigators, gave his testimony, and returned to his office afterward.
He confirmed that his client responded to the ICPC’s invitation as part of the probe into the activities of the PFIPC and other related matters, stating that Gbajabiamila answered questions accordingly before returning to his duty post.
It was earlier reported that President Tinubu had directed the ICPC to investigate the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and submit its findings within 30 days, following revelations that the organisation had allegedly operated from the Federal Secretariat without any legal backing.
The Federal Government has since disowned the PFIPC, describing it as a fraudulent entity allegedly operated by one Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, who is accused of falsely presenting himself as the agency’s Director-General.
The scandal drew national attention after Adeyemi allegedly claimed he paid about ₦400 million in bribes to facilitate the establishment and operation of the agency, including funds allegedly paid to someone he believed represented Gbajabiamila.
The Chief of Staff has denied receiving any bribe, maintaining that he was in fact the official who first reported Adeyemi’s activities to security authorities, and has instituted a ₦15 billion defamation suit against the suspect over the allegations.
Investigators are seeking to determine how the non-existent agency allegedly secured office space within the Federal Secretariat, obtained official government documents, opened dozens of bank accounts including one with the Central Bank of Nigeria, employed public servants, and reportedly secured about ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite lacking any legal foundation.
Meanwhile, Adeyemi is standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on an eight-count charge bordering on fr@ud and impersonation, and is also expected to appear in court alongside two alleged accomplices identified only as Femi and Anu, who remain at large.
The House of Representatives has also launched a separate investigation into how the fictitious agency found its way into the 2026 budget, while the Presidency has repeatedly denied any involvement in the organisation’s activities.
The ICPC maintained that its investigation remains ongoing, with additional information to be released as appropriate.
