Phantom Council: ICPC clears Presidency, Gbajabiamila, recommends Adeyemi for prosecution

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has cleared the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, of any wrongdoing in the investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The anti-graft agency also declared that the PFIPC was never established by the Federal Government, describing it as a fictitious organisation that operated with forged documents and false claims of official recognition.

ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), disclosed the findings on Thursday while briefing journalists after presenting the commission’s interim investigation report to President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.

The investigation followed allegations by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi that he paid ₦400 million to Gbajabiamila to secure his appointment as Director-General of the PFIPC. President Tinubu had, on July 7, directed the ICPC to investigate the claims and submit its findings within 30 days.

PFIPC Never Existed – ICPC

Aliyu said investigations established that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the PFIPC was never created by any law, executive order or other valid government instrument.

According to him, the appointment letter presented by the suspect, alongside several supporting documents used to portray the organisation as a government agency, were forged.

“We have established that Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was never appointed by the Federal Government or any authority of government.

“The Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, sometimes referred to as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, was never established by any law, executive order or any valid instrument of government.

The appointment letter presented by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was completely forged,” Aliyu said.

The ICPC chairman added that the organisation also relied on a forged government gazette and other fabricated documents to create the impression that it was a legitimate Federal Government agency.

Alleged Illegal Occupation of Government Office

Aliyu disclosed that investigators found that Adeyemi unlawfully occupied the former office of the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

According to him, the suspect allegedly gained access to the premises after breaking the office lock before using the facility to conduct activities under the fake organisation.

“The office used by the fake agency belonged to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. The lock was broken before access was gained,” he alleged.

He said the office was subsequently used to carry out impersonation, false representation and other unlawful activities.

No Government Funds Paid

The ICPC stated that investigations found no evidence that Federal Government funds were approved or disbursed to the PFIPC.

Aliyu also said the commission discovered no weaknesses within the systems of either the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), maintaining that the forged appointment letter did not originate from the Presidency.

Two More Fake Agencies Discovered

The commission further revealed that Adeyemi allegedly established two additional fictitious organisations, identified as the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership.

According to the ICPC, the suspect later altered the name of the PFIPC to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in what investigators believe was an attempt to broaden its activities.

Public Officials Identified

Aliyu disclosed that the investigation uncovered acts of negligence and possible connivance by some public officials that enabled the fake organisation to operate.

He said officials linked to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Budget Office and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) were identified during the investigation.

The commission recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi, administrative sanctions against public officials whose negligence facilitated the scheme and institutional reforms to strengthen internal controls across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Tinubu to Review Report

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said President Tinubu would study the interim report and consult the Attorney-General of the Federation before taking further action.

He added that the President directed the findings to be made public in the interest of transparency, while investigations by the National Assembly, the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant agencies would continue.

FRSC Explains Number Plate Approval

Also on Thursday, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, told the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the matter that President Tinubu and several top government officials were listed as members of the governing board on the fake agency’s website.

He explained that the website, combined with what appeared to be authentic government correspondence and successful verification of statutory payments through the REMITA platform, convinced the FRSC that the organisation was legitimate.

According to him, the agency consequently issued official Federal Government number plates for seven vehicles linked to the organisation.

Mohammed admitted shortcomings in the verification process, describing the incident as an isolated case, and disclosed that the FRSC has begun retrieving the number plates while strengthening its internal verification procedures.

However, Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, faulted the FRSC for failing to detect what he described as obvious irregularities in the documents submitted by the organisation.

The committee heard that the vehicles registered included a 2024 Lexus LX armoured SUV, two 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser models, one Toyota Hilux GR and three Toyota Hilux Adventure pickup trucks.

The FRSC Corps Marshal maintained that all the vehicles physically existed and that their chassis numbers were verified before the official government number plates were issued.

Follow Very Nigerian WhatsApp Channel
For Verified Breaking News, Exclusive Reports, Trending Stories, And Real-time Updates.
CLICk HERE TO JOIN!