Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has appeared before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as part of the ongoing investigation into the activities of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
His lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Monday, saying Gbajabiamila honoured the invitation in line with a directive from President Bola Tinubu.
According to Ogunye, the Chief of Staff fully cooperated with the anti-corruption agency and responded to its inquiries regarding the PFIPC, which is currently under investigation.
He noted that Gbajabiamila’s appearance reflected his commitment to transparency and compliance with lawful investigative processes.
“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.
“My client gave his testimony, responded to questions accordingly, and has returned to his duty post,” the lawyer said.
The PFIPC controversy arose after the self-acclaimed director-general of the disputed agency, Adeniyi Adeyemi, alleged during a press conference that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent from the agency’s ₦27.3 billion take-off grant.
Chief of Staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila and Adeniyi Adeyemi
Adeyemi also alleged that the Chief of Staff received ₦400 million through a proxy and requested an additional ₦200 million to facilitate presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila has denied the allegations in a statement on oath, maintaining that he had no personal, official or professional relationship with Adeyemi.
He also denied demanding or receiving any money, abusing his office or interfering with law enforcement agencies.
The Chief of Staff further denied any involvement in the alleged death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom Adeyemi claimed acted as an intermediary, as well as allegations linking him to an alleged assassination attempt on the defendant or interference with investigations by security agencies.
Following the allegations, President Bola Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate the matter.
Last week, Gbajabiamila instituted a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over the kickback allegations.
In the suit, he is seeking ₦10 billion in general damages, ₦5 billion in aggravated damages, ₦200 million as the cost of the action, and an order directing Adeyemi to publish a retraction and apology in five national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the alleged defamatory statements were published.
Through his legal team led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), he described the allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.
Adeyemi was also arrested by the police in Osun State after a court issued a bench warrant for his arrest following his failure to appear for his scheduled arraignment.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has inaugurated a 12-member ad hoc committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the disputed agency and the process through which it was included in the 2026 budget.
The committee will also investigate the alleged allocation of ₦1.3 billion to what lawmakers described as an illegal government agency in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
