The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) grilled Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, whom Adeniyi Adeyemi, the Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), accused of collecting a N400 million bribe to facilitate his appointment.
Jiti Ogunye, Mr Gbajabiamila’s lawyer, said in a statement on Monday that the Chief of Staff was interrogated by the anti-graft agency over Mr Adeyemi’s allegations that he took a N400 million bribe to facilitate his appointment as Director-General of the controversial agency.
“In full cooperation with the ICPC, acting as directed by the President of Nigeria, I hereby confirm that my client, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria, responded to the invitation of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and appeared at about 15:00hrs on Monday, July 20, 2026, as part of the ongoing investigation into the activities of the ‘PFIPC’ fake agency, among others,” Mr Ogunye said in a statement.
The lawyer said, “My client (Mr Gbajabiamila) gave his testimony, responded to questions accordingly and has returned to his duty post.”
Meanwhile, Mr Adeyemi, who had accused the Chief of Staff of collecting a N400 million bribe from him, was arrested shortly after the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court last Tuesday issued a warrant for his arrest for failing to appear for his arraignment.
The presidency had first labelled Mr Adeyemi a con artist heading a fictitious agency, though evidence showed that the agency received funding from the annual budget and had office space in the Federal Secretariat.
However, amid the public outrage trailing Mr Adeyemi’s allegations, President Bola Tinubu ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate Mr Gbajabiamila and others allegedly involved in the PFIPC bribery and forgery scandal.
The arrest of Mr Adeyemi and Mr Gbajabiamila’s appearance before the ICPC came after Mr Tinubu ordered investigations into the controversial PFIPC scandal and other related matters.
Since he was arrested last week, nothing has been heard from Mr Adeyemi. However, in the last interview he granted to Channels TV last Monday, Mr Adeyemi doubled down on his claim that the Chief of Staff collected a N400 million bribe in exchange for appointing him as director-general of the agency now dismissed as fake.
