GBAJABIAMILA FACES POSSIBLE HOUSE SUMMONS OVER FAKE AGENCY INVESTIGATION
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) is facing mounting calls to broaden its probe by summoning the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. The pressure comes as lawmakers directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce the alleged promoter of the non-existent agency, Adeniyi Adeyemi, before the committee on Wednesday.
The demand intensified after the committee, during Monday’s sitting, ordered the police to present Adeyemi for questioning over allegations arising from testimonies by senior government officials. Those who have appeared before the panel include the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack; Budget Office Director-General, Tanimu Yakubu; CBN Director of Banking Services, Hamisu Abdullahi; Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi; and ACP Bashir Abdullahi, who represented the Inspector-General of Police.
Adeyemi, who has reportedly remained in police custody for more than two weeks, is expected to testify before the committee following the directive.
However, questions have continued to mount over the committee’s failure to invite Gbajabiamila despite claims by Adeyemi allegedly linking him to efforts to establish the council.
A source familiar with the investigation criticised lawmakers for failing to question the police over key issues, including the reported death of Dolapo Tanimola—allegedly the intermediary entrusted with ₦400 million meant for the Chief of Staff—and the subsequent demolition of the Abuja hotel where he reportedly died in a fire.
The source argued that the committee should have demanded explanations from the police on who authorised the demolition of the hotel and why Gbajabiamila had yet to be invited to testify.
The concerns come amid growing public interest in the investigation following allegations that forged government documents were used to obtain official recognition, office accommodation and budgetary requests for an agency with no legal backing.
Political analyst Jackson Ojo also faulted the committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, for not inviting Gbajabiamila to testify, arguing that doing so would either clear his name or help establish the facts.
Meanwhile, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has called on the Chief of Staff to step aside pending the outcome of investigations. HEDA Chairman, Suraju Olanrewaju, said while there was no conclusive evidence directly implicating Gbajabiamila, the Office of the Chief of Staff had failed in its responsibility to shield the Presidency from fraudulent activities. He also urged the committee to summon Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to explain his office’s role in the matter.
At Monday’s hearing, ACP Bashir Abdullahi told lawmakers that the police had already filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi at the Federal High Court and warned against disclosures that could prejudice ongoing investigations or court proceedings.
Committee Chairman Yusuf Gagdi, however, insisted that Adeyemi’s appearance was necessary given the seriousness of the allegations and the institutions involved, stressing that the suspect must clarify documents linked to the investigation before the panel submits its report.
The committee consequently directed the Inspector-General of Police to ensure Adeyemi appears before lawmakers by noon on Wednesday.
During the hearing, the police confirmed receiving petitions from the Office of the Chief of Staff alleging that Adeyemi falsely presented himself as Director-General of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
Investigators alleged that Adeyemi used the purported office to secure accommodation at the Federal Secretariat, sought approval to recruit about 300 staff, attempted to secure a ₦1.32 billion allocation in the 2026 budget, and planned a World Investment Summit under the platform of the non-existent agency.
Lawmakers also examined disputed State House documents and compared their signatures with authentic official records. The police confirmed the signatures did not match.
Gagdi disclosed that the committee had uncovered about 29 allegedly forged documents, including fake presidential approvals, forged Acts of the National Assembly, and counterfeit correspondence purportedly issued by the State House, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, the SGF’s office, the Ministry of Finance and other government institutions.
He added that the committee deliberately avoided pressing the police on sensitive matters that could compromise ongoing criminal investigations.
Earlier, Accountant-General Shamseldeen Ogunjimi revealed that his office unknowingly processed requests from the purported council after receiving what appeared to be a genuine State House letter requesting the creation of an administrative code for the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
Although the Treasury approved the administrative code and processed subsequent requests relating to self-accounting status, personnel deployment and bank accounts, Ogunjimi stressed that no public funds were released. He added that a request for a ₦27.4 billion establishment grant was rejected because no budgetary provision existed.
He further disclosed that investigations later confirmed the State House letter used to initiate the process was forged, reinforcing the committee’s findings that fake presidential documents were used to mislead multiple government institutions into recognising an agency that was never legally established.
The committee is expected to resume its investigation on Wednesday with Adeyemi’s appearance, after which it is expected to recommend administrative, legislative and possible criminal actions against those found culpable.
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