Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A United States-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has announced that it will formally report the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, to the administration of President Donald Trump, raising fresh concerns over the circumstances surrounding his detention by Nigerian law enforcement. The Washington-based firm, which was engaged by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under a $1.2 million, 12-month contract to provide lobbying and strategic communications services, disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, hours after Adeyemi was taken into custody by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force. The arrest followed a bench warrant issued by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja after Adeyemi failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
According to the lobbying firm, Adeyemi's arrest came at a critical moment when it was preparing to facilitate discussions between him and senior members of the Trump administration over allegations he had made against top Nigerian government officials. "We learned a short time ago that Mr Adeyemi has been arrested by Nigerian law enforcement just as we were preparing for him to speak with senior members of President Donald Trump's Administration," the statement read. The firm added that Adeyemi was expected to provide documentary evidence and a sworn statement to US officials concerning his claims. "We are told that his arrest occurred shortly after it became public that we were in contact with him and just before he was expected to provide us with evidentiary materials and a sworn statement regarding his account. Those materials were to be transmitted to senior members of the Trump Administration, who had requested that we provide all available information concerning Mr Adeyemi's allegations."
Von Batten-Montague-York further alleged, without providing evidence, that Adeyemi's arrest was orchestrated to prevent him from sharing information with US authorities. The firm specifically named President Bola Tinubu's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, as having pushed for the prompt arrest to stop Adeyemi from presenting evidence to the American government. "Tomorrow, we will report that Mr Adeyemi has been arrested. We will also report our concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding his arrest, including information we have received suggesting that his prompt arrest was pushed by President Tinubu's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to prevent Mr Adeyemi from presenting evidence to the U.S. government," the statement said. The firm vowed to keep the public updated on developments as the matter unfolds.
The latest development follows an earlier statement issued on Monday by the firm's Managing Partner, Karl Von Batten, who claimed he had already briefed members of President Trump's team on Adeyemi's allegations and intended to engage members of the US Congress. Von Batten said he had personally spoken with Adeyemi and found him to be "sincere and credible," adding that the allegations warranted investigation by multiple American agencies, including the State Department, the Treasury Department, and the Government Accountability Office, due to the alleged misappropriation of US-funded World Bank loans by senior members of the Nigerian government. "This past weekend, I briefed senior members of President @realDonaldTrump's team on these allegations, and our team will begin briefing Members of Congress this week," Von Batten wrote on Monday.
Adeyemi was arrested on Tuesday in Osun State by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force's Intelligence Response Team after Justice Mohammed Umar issued a bench warrant against him for failing to appear for his arraignment. He is facing charges of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation in connection with the operation of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, an organisation the Presidency has repeatedly stated does not exist. Police investigators accused Adeyemi of forging several official documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter allegedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as forged State House letterheads, a conveyance approval for the take-off of the PFIPC, and requests for approval of staff accounts and office space. The prosecution also alleged that Adeyemi operated the fictitious agency from the second floor of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, Phase III, and falsely presented himself as its Director-General.
Before his arrest, Adeyemi had made explosive allegations that have further complicated the scandal. He claimed that he paid ₦400 million through an intermediary to secure his appointment as Director-General of the PFIPC and alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded a share of the funds. He also claimed that the intermediary, Babatunde Tanimola, subsequently died under controversial circumstances in a hotel fire in Abuja, and that attempts had been made on his own life. Adeyemi has called for an independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the agency and its reported ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act, pledging to provide documentary evidence and cooperate fully if such a panel is established. President Tinubu has since directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the fictitious agency, giving the commission 30 days to complete its findings.
The involvement of Von Batten-Montague-York has added a significant international dimension to the PFIPC scandal. The firm's contract with Atiku Abubakar, reportedly valued at $1.2 million, covers lobbying US government officials as well as strategic communications and reputational advisory services on behalf of the former vice president. Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the 2027 elections, has previously called for Gbajabiamila's suspension pending an investigation into corruption allegations. The US firm's threat to report Adeyemi's arrest to the Trump administration raises the stakes for the Nigerian government, potentially drawing international scrutiny to a case that has already embarrassed the Presidency and raised serious questions about institutional verification processes within the federal bureaucracy.
The PFIPC saga has also drawn attention to the roles played by other government officials who may have processed or acted on documents presented by Adeyemi. The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation have faced questions about why they allegedly failed to confirm the authenticity of Adeyemi's appointment letter before acting on requests associated with it. Among the prosecution witnesses expected to testify in the trial are Gbajabiamila himself, officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and a Deputy Superintendent of Police. The case has been adjourned until September 30 for Adeyemi's arraignment, and the outcome of the ICPC investigation is eagerly awaited by a public that continues to grapple with the implications of the scandal. For now, the international dimension introduced by Von Batten-Montague-York ensures that the PFIPC controversy will not fade quietly from the headlines.
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