A businessman, Gbenga Collins, has alleged before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) that he paid ₦400 million to the council’s disputed Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, to facilitate the award of a government contract.
Collins made the claim on Wednesday while testifying before the committee probing the establishment and activities of the controversial council.
According to him, he travelled to Abuja after being invited by Adeyemi, who received him in a manner that gave the impression he was heading a recognised government agency.
He told lawmakers that Adeyemi subsequently presented him with a contract award letter, project details and an agreement authorising his company to renovate and furnish the Director-General’s official residence.
Collins alleged that Adeyemi instructed him to pay ₦400 million as a condition for securing the contract and demonstrating his financial capacity to execute the project.
He said the payment was also described as a way to speed up the mobilisation process for the contract.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, explained that Adeyemi had been absent from previous hearings because he is currently in police custody and is also facing investigations by anti-corruption agencies.
Gagdi disclosed that the panel intends to meet with Adeyemi privately as part of its ongoing inquiry.
The committee also summoned the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) over allegations that official Federal Government number plates were used on vehicles linked to the disputed council.
Lawmakers are investigating the legality of the PFIPC’s establishment and operations amid claims that the council functioned without proper legal backing.
The investigation followed allegations by Adeyemi that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, demanded 48 per cent of the council’s proposed ₦27.3 billion take-off allocation.
Adeyemi also alleged that ₦400 million was paid to the Chief of Staff through an intermediary and claimed another ₦200 million was later requested to facilitate presidential approvals.
Gbajabiamila has firmly denied all the allegations, maintaining that he has never had any personal or official dealings with Adeyemi.
He also rejected claims that he received money, had any connection with the death of Babatunde Tanimola—whom Adeyemi identified as an intermediary—or interfered in investigations or any alleged attempt on Adeyemi’s life.
Following the allegations, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the matter.
The House of Representatives subsequently established a 12-member ad hoc committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the creation of the PFIPC, its inclusion in the 2026 Appropriation Act, and the reported allocation of about ₦1.3 billion to the agency.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, told the committee that no funds approved for the council had been released or spent.
Yakubu explained that although the National Assembly appropriated funds for the agency, the legal requirements necessary for disbursement were never fulfilled, preventing any release or utilisation of the money.
