By The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) began questioning Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man accused of fabricating the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), inside police detention on Wednesday.
The interrogation had initially stalled that morning when Adeyemi’s newly appointed lawyer failed to show up at the Nigeria Police Force’s National Cybercrime Centre. ICPC investigators, who had arrived around 10am ready to proceed, held off the session to protect Adeyemi’s right to legal counsel. Questioning resumed once his lawyer arrived but wrapped up without conclusion, with sources suggesting it could continue the following day.
A police source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the session was pushed from 10am to 3pm specifically to accommodate Adeyemi’s right to representation. A second source confirmed the interview began later that afternoon but was not completed.
Reps to Grill Top Officials
The same day, a House of Representatives ad-hoc committee was set to question several senior government figures over their alleged connections to the scandal — among them the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu; Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi; Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu; and Accountant-General Shamseldeen Ogunjimi. Others expected to appear include Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele, Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Budget Office DG Tanimu Yakubu, and representatives from several other agencies.
The committee, led by Plateau lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi, wants officials to explain how the fictitious council ended up in the 2026 budget and reportedly gained office space at the Federal Secretariat.
That space, in Phase III of the complex, had originally been assigned to the SGF’s office in 2023 before allegedly being reassigned to PFIPC — something Akume is expected to address directly.
Testimony from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added new detail to the timeline. Permanent Secretary Dunoma Ahmed told lawmakers that Adeyemi approached the ministry three times — in June and August 2025, and again in June 2026 — presenting himself as head of both the PFIPC and a similarly named Presidential Economic Advisory Council, seeking backing for a World Investment Summit. The ministry turned him down after due diligence flagged inconsistencies in his documentation.
Ahmed said the ministry had gone further, writing to the National Security Adviser’s office in October 2025 to verify the council’s status. The NSA’s office reportedly responded in November 2025 that neither the SGF’s office nor the Chief of Staff’s office recognized Adeyemi.
The committee has also directed police to produce two suspects allegedly connected to forged documents from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service — documents said to have cleared PFIPC’s inclusion in the budget and approved a waiver for roughly 300 staff.
Gbajabiamila’s ICPC Appearance
Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila appeared before the ICPC on Monday, days after Tinubu ordered the commission to investigate the matter and report within 30 days. His lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, confirmed the appearance in a statement, noting his client answered questions and returned to work afterward. Gbajabiamila has denied Adeyemi’s claims that he issued the appointment letter or accepted payment, and has since filed suit against him.
The ICPC’s mandate, as laid out by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga on July 7, covers the alleged forged documents, claims of diplomatic recognition and visa facilitation, and the opening of bank accounts under the fake council’s name.
Atiku Demands Accountability
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar escalated his criticism of the administration, pointing to conflicting accounts from the Accountant-General’s office and the Central Bank over who authorized PFIPC’s bank accounts. In a statement issued through aide Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued the contradiction points to a deeper credibility problem and called on Tinubu to either order an independent probe or take responsibility himself.
He pressed the president to clarify which version of events — the Accountant-General’s or the CBN’s — he accepts, and criticized the Attorney-General’s silence on the matter. Atiku also urged the National Assembly to summon both the Accountant-General and CBN Governor jointly to reconcile their accounts.
He went further, framing the scandal as a test of Tinubu’s credibility and calling for an apology, warning that anything short of a genuinely independent investigation would cost the president the moral standing to remain in office.
