The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, was not arrested over the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
In a statement on Tuesday, Okor Odey, ICPC spokesperson,
said the ex-house of representatives speaker simply honoured the commission’s
invitation on the ongoing probe of the PFIPC saga.
Odey said the chief of staff
left the ICPC headquarters immediately after questioning.
“Mr Gbajabiamila arrived at the Commission in the afternoon
and spent some time attending to enquiries from investigators, after which he
departed the premises,” the statement reads.
“The Commission confirms that the Chief of Staff’s visit was
on the invitation of its investigators and consistent with its ongoing efforts
to gather all relevant facts in the matter. He was not arrested; he simply
willingly honoured an invitation.
“Investigations continue, and further updates will be
communicated as appropriate.”
On Monday, Jiti Ogunye, Gbajabiamila’s counsel, disclosed
that the chief of staff appeared at the ICPC headquarters, where he was grilled
over the PFIPC controversy.
On July 2, Tinubu directed ICPC to conduct a “thorough
investigation” into the PFIPC scandal.
Bayo Onanuga, the president’s spokesperson, had said Tinubu
asked the ICPC to conclude the investigation and submit a comprehensive report
to him within 30 days.
Without a legal framework or presidential declaration, PFIPC
operated akin to a government agency, complete with an allocation in the 2026
budget, an office space at the federal secretariat, while recruiting staff
members.
The controversy came to the fore on June 11, 2026, when
Gbajabiamila issued a statement in which he said the PFIPC does not exist under
the Tinubu administration.
The chief of staff had said his office did not appoint
Adeniyi Adeyemi, director-general of the disowned agency, to any position in
the organisation.
However, at a press conference on June 26, Adeyemi faulted
the presidency’s disclaimer.
He alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a
proxy and demanded an additional N200 million to secure his appointment.
The police subsequently filed criminal charges against
Adeyemi over alleged forgery and impersonation.
On July 14, the police arrested Adeyemi in Osun state after
a bench warrant was issued against him.
He was picked up the same day the federal high court in
Abuja ordered his arrest after he failed to honour the court’s summons.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com