The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has cleared the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of involvement in the appointment of Adeniyi Adeyemi to head the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC). The commission said Adeyemi forged an appointment letter in March 2024. He allegedly used a fake State House letterhead and attributed the signature to Gbajabiamila.
According to the ICPC, its investigation found no evidence that Gbajabiamila, his office or the State House appointed or had direct dealings with Adeyemi or the PFIPC. The commission said the purported council had no legal backing. It was not created by law, executive order or any other valid government instrument.
ICPC traces forged documents to Adeyemi
The investigation examined Adeyemi’s appointment letter and other documents he used to present the PFIPC as a government agency. The ICPC said its forensic examination found that the appointment letter did not originate from the State House.
Investigators also found that a letter used to obtain an administrative code for the PFIPC contained a forged signature. The commission said the person named as a State House director on the document was not a State House employee.
It also found that the State House department named in the letter did not exist. According to the ICPC, the purported agency still secured office space, opened accounts and gained access to government institutions.
Gbajabiamila denied involvement
The ICPC said it checked official correspondence records from the Office of the Chief of Staff. It found no communication involving Adeyemi or the PFIPC between 2024 and September 2025. Gbajabiamila also denied writing or authorising the documents linked to the purported agency.
The investigation followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a probe into the PFIPC. The ICPC submitted its interim report to the President on August 6 and recommended Adeyemi’s prosecution over alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences.
Government agencies failed to verify PFIPC
The commission also identified weaknesses in the verification systems of several government institutions. It said some ministries, departments and agencies acted on PFIPC correspondence without properly confirming its authenticity.
The PFIPC reportedly obtained office space at the Federal Secretariat and opened government accounts. The ICPC said the case showed how weak verification procedures could allow a fake agency to operate within government structures.
Adeyemi faces criminal charges
Adeyemi has denied wrongdoing and said he would defend himself against the allegations. He previously claimed that Gbajabiamila was involved in his appointment. He later said he could not confirm whether the Chief of Staff was involved in issuing the appointment letter.
Gbajabiamila has consistently denied the allegations and later filed a N15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi. The ICPC has now concluded that there is no evidence linking Gbajabiamila or his office to the PFIPC. Instead, the commission said its forensic findings linked the alleged forged documents directly to Adeyemi.
Another fake agency uncovered
The investigation also uncovered another suspected fake agency, the National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office. The agency allegedly operated within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. President Tinubu later ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries and the arrest of its alleged promoter, George Buchi Nwabueze.
ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu said investigators found suspected collaborators within the OSGF. The commission said forged legislative documents were allegedly used to make the entities appear legitimate and facilitate bank accounts in their names.
The findings have raised fresh concerns about verification and oversight within federal government institutions.
Read also: PFIPC scandal: Family accuses Reps of attempting to question Adeyemi without lawyers
