The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has cleared President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, of wrongdoing in the controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The anti-graft agency said its interim investigation found that the alleged Director-General of the PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the appointment letter he presented was forged.
ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Aliyu, disclosed the findings on Thursday after submitting the commission’s interim report to President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
The investigation followed President Tinubu’s July 7 directive for the commission to probe allegations by Adeyemi that he paid ₦400 million to Gbajabiamila to secure his appointment as head of the agency.
Aliyu said investigators established that the PFIPC was not created by any law, executive order or valid government instrument, describing it as a fictitious organisation.
The commission also alleged that Adeyemi, who is currently in custody, created two other fake government bodies, unlawfully occupied the former office of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, and used forged documents to give the impression that the organisation was legitimate.
According to the ICPC chairman, the suspect allegedly relied on a forged gazette and other fabricated documents to support the operation of the fake agency.
The commission said it found no evidence that federal government funds were approved or released to the purported PFIPC and found no system failure within the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria.
However, ICPC said weaknesses in government verification processes and inter-agency coordination were exploited, with some public officials allegedly failing to carry out due diligence.
The commission recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi, administrative sanctions for officials whose negligence contributed to the scheme, and reforms to strengthen verification systems across government agencies.
ICPC also disclosed that officials from 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 were identified during the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Presidency said President Tinubu would study the report and consult with the Attorney-General of the Federation before deciding on further action.
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