Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has moved swiftly to dismiss widespread reports suggesting that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was arrested in connection with the scandal surrounding the phantom Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council. In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the anti-graft agency clarified that the presidential aide voluntarily honoured an invitation from its investigators and was allowed to leave immediately after providing his testimony. The commission's spokesperson, Demola Bakare, stressed that Gbajabiamila's appearance was part of ongoing efforts to gather all relevant facts in the matter and should not be misinterpreted as an arrest. “The Commission confirms that the Chief of Staff’s visit was on the invitation of its investigators and consistent with its ongoing efforts to gather all relevant facts in the matter. He was not arrested; he simply willingly honoured an invitation,” the statement read.
The clarification came just hours after Gbajabiamila arrived at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Monday, July 20, 2026, to answer questions regarding the controversial council. His lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, confirmed the appearance in a terse statement, noting that his client had fully cooperated with investigators, responded to all questions, and returned to his official duties at the Presidency. "My client gave his testimony, responded to questions accordingly, and has returned to his duty post," Ogunye said. The Chief of Staff's invitation stems from allegations by the self-styled Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who claimed he paid N400 million to Gbajabiamila through an intermediary to secure his appointment and that the presidential aide demanded a 48 per cent kickback from the agency's proposed N27.3 billion take-off grant. Gbajabiamila has consistently denied the allegations, describing them as false.
President Bola Tinubu had on July 2, 2026, directed the ICPC to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the PFIPC and submit a detailed report within 30 days. The probe was triggered by revelations that the purported council, which the Presidency has described as a fraudulent organisation that was never lawfully established, allegedly operated from the Federal Secretariat in Abuja for about two years, secured an office space, recruited staff, and obtained a N1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act. The scandal has exposed significant institutional lapses within the federal bureaucracy. The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, admitted before a House of Representatives committee that her office failed to properly verify documents submitted by officials of the controversial body before issuing an authorised staff establishment for it. Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria disclosed that two domiciliary accounts—one in US dollars and the other in British pounds—were opened for the PFIPC on the directive of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, though the accounts have remained inactive with zero balance since their creation.
Gbajabiamila's appearance before the ICPC came just days after Adeniyi Adeyemi was arrested by police in Osun State following a bench warrant issued by a Federal High Court. Adeyemi, who is facing charges of forgery and impersonation, has maintained that he personally pursued the agency's budgetary inclusion through officials of the Budget Office and insisted that Gbajabiamila played no role in the N1.3 billion allocation. In a separate development, the House of Representatives has summoned the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and other key agencies to appear before its ad-hoc committee investigating the PFIPC scandal. The investigation is expected to determine how the phantom agency gained access to official government documents, secured office space, and obtained budgetary provisions despite having no legal basis. As the probe continues, the ICPC has assured the public that further updates will be communicated as appropriate.
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