I BORROWED N400M TO SECURE APPOINTMENT, LENDERS HAVE PETITIONED EFCC – ADEYEMI
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The embattled Director-General of the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, has claimed that the ₦400 million he allegedly paid to secure his appointment was borrowed, revealing that his creditors have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover their money.
Adeyemi made the disclosure on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, weeks after accusing the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, of receiving the money through a proxy to facilitate his appointment.
“I borrowed this money. In fact, those that I borrowed this money from have reported to the EFCC. I borrowed this money to pay for this appointment. They have written to the EFCC, asking me to refund their money.
“So, I’m not even here to pay the money back. I borrowed this money,” he said.
Describing the government’s handling of the controversy as “very, very unfortunate,” Adeyemi accused unnamed government officials of tarnishing his image.
“Imagine the government claiming I manoeuvre the whole system. It’s unfortunate,” he said.
Reacting to reports that a United States lobbying firm was assisting him in seeking asylum, Adeyemi denied having any knowledge of such plans, saying he only became aware of the reports through the media.
“I read it the way you read it. Some people call me that they are looking for me,” he said.
He added that he had largely withdrawn from social media following alleged attacks on his online accounts.
“I just ignore; because they sponsor a lot of people to bring my social media handle down. So, I don’t really know much what is going on again. I just hear from family and friends,” he said.
Adeyemi also dismissed claims that he intended to flee Nigeria.
“They pulled my social media handle down, and they still reported that I was about to run away out of Nigeria. I’m still in Nigeria. I’m not going anywhere,” he stated.
The PFIPC controversy came to public attention after the Presidency, in a June 11 disclaimer signed by the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, declared that no such agency existed under the Tinubu administration and described Adeyemi as an impostor.
In a subsequent statement issued on July 1, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said police investigations revealed that Adeyemi allegedly forged a presidential appointment letter purportedly signed by Gbajabiamila, operated a fictitious government agency and maintained 34 bank accounts, including nine allegedly opened in the names of non-existent government agencies.
According to the Presidency, concerns about the council first arose in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission complained that another government-styled body was operating in a manner that conflicted with its mandate.
Despite the official denial, Adeyemi has maintained that his appointment was genuine, insisting that he operated openly for nearly three years, interacted with heads of ministries, departments and agencies, and hosted foreign delegations, including officials of the EFCC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He has repeatedly accused Gbajabiamila of receiving ₦400 million through a proxy to facilitate his appointment, demanding an additional ₦200 million and seeking 48 per cent of a purported ₦27.4 billion take-off grant for the council.
Gbajabiamila’s lawyers have denied the allegations, describing them as false and threatening Adeyemi with a ₦10 billion defamation suit.
Adeyemi, however, later admitted during an interview with social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, that he had never met the Chief of Staff in person and could not confirm the identity of the individual he spoke with over the telephone.
The controversy deepened after it emerged that the PFIPC was captured in the 2026 national budget with an allocation of more than ₦1.3 billion, raising questions about how a body the Presidency described as non-existent made its way into the federal budget.
President Bola Tinubu has since directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter and submit its findings within 30 days.
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