ICPC's Bombshell Report: Fake Agencies Uncovered, Gbajabiamila Cleared in Scandalous Probe

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday absolved Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, of any blame in the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) saga. The anti-graft body revealed that the purported Director General of the PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, was never appointed by the federal government and that the appointment letter he presented was forged. The ICPC firmly stated that the PFIPC was a fictitious organization.

Further investigations by the commission disclosed that Adeyemi, who is currently in custody, unlawfully occupied the office of the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) after breaking into its premises. He also floated two additional fictitious government agencies: the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public Private Partnership. Adeyemi exploited significant weaknesses in government verification processes, allegedly with the connivance and negligence of some public officials, and used forged legislative instruments to support the creation of these agencies and open bank accounts.

ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu (SAN), disclosed these findings while briefing journalists after submitting the commission’s interim investigation report to President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja. This report came exactly 30 days after President Tinubu had on July 7 directed the anti-graft agency to investigate allegations by Adeyemi that he paid N400 million to Gbajabiamila to secure his appointment. Aliyu confirmed that investigations established Adeyemi was never appointed and that the PFIPC was never created by any law, executive order, or other valid instrument of government, relying instead on a forged gazette and other fabricated legal instruments.

The ICPC's findings indicated that no federal government funds were approved or disbursed to the fake PFIPC or PEAC, and the fake appointment letter did not originate from the Presidency. However, the commission identified collaborators whose acts of negligence or omission facilitated the activities of the fake agency. Officials linked to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Budget Office, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) were identified.

As part of its recommendations, the ICPC called for the prosecution of Adeniyi Adeyemi, administrative sanctions against public officials whose negligence aided the operation of the fake agency, and comprehensive institutional reforms to strengthen internal controls across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Mr. Sunday Dare, stated that Tinubu would study the interim report and consult the Attorney General of the Federation before deciding on the next course of action, emphasizing transparency and the complementary role of investigations by other agencies.

Concurrently, the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee also probed the controversial PFIPC, uncovering fresh discrepancies and engaging officials from the State House and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The investigation aimed to determine how the PFIPC secured official recognition, obtained government approvals, and appeared in federal government administrative and budget processes, including the 2026 Appropriation Act, despite its questionable legal status.

Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, disclosed before the House committee that the fake agency’s website listed President Bola Tinubu as Chairman of its Governing Board, alongside the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, and several ministers as members. The FRSC was misled by official-looking letterheads, Adeyemi’s personal presentation, a government-domain website, and successful verification of statutory payments via the REMITA platform, leading it to issue official number plates (PFIPC 01-07) for seven vehicles, including a 2024 black Lexus LX armoured vehicle, two Toyota Land Cruiser models, a Toyota Hilux GR, and three Toyota Hilux Adventure vehicles, after physical chassis verification.

The State House, represented by its Director of Administration Abdulkadri Idris, explicitly denied establishing or approving the council, stating they had no knowledge of any correspondence requesting a budget code for it. Idris affirmed that the State House has no constitutional responsibility for creating government agencies and rejected documents purportedly issued by the Presidency, specifically denying the existence of an official named “Akande Adewale” or a department called “Directorate of Administration and Support Services.” The State House submitted authentic records to the committee, including a historical list of its Directors of Administration, to support its position.

Committee Chairman Hon. Yusuf Gagdi faulted the FRSC for failing to detect what he described as glaring irregularities, such as the President serving as board chairman, and highlighted inconsistencies between records from the Office of the Accountant-General and the State House's denials. He also questioned the credibility of the documents relied upon by the FRSC, noting their lack of standard government security features. The Corps Marshal admitted shortcomings in their verification process, describing the incident as isolated, and confirmed that the FRSC has initiated steps to recover all official number plates issued to the fake organization while strengthening its internal verification mechanisms. The committee directed the FRSC to provide details on the current location and status of all vehicles registered under the PFIPC and announced that the investigation would conclude shortly, with the goal of identifying those responsible and recommending preventative measures.