I’m ready for probe, says ‘Phantom’ Council DG

The self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, has declared his readiness to cooperate with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the investigation into the controversial agency the Presidency says does not exist.

He made the declaration during an interview with social media personality VeryDarkMan, after President Bola Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate the activities of the purported agency and all related matters.

Adeyemi also said he was prepared to hand over documents in his possession to security agencies to aid the investigation.

He said, “I am willing and ready to help security agencies or any panel set up by Mr President to unravel the truth. In fact, any moment from now, I will go to the DSS or the police to submit all the documents I have to help them investigate and look into this matter.”

According to him, the documents would help investigators determine how the council emerged and whether official processes were followed.

“They should authenticate them. They should verify them. They should unravel the truth,” he said.

Adeyemi also questioned how the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council appeared in the national budget despite the Presidency’s insistence that the agency was never established.

“When the Presidency, through the Chief of Staff, said the agency does not exist, I wondered how an agency that found its way into the national budget could suddenly be described as fake,” he said.

“I was in detention for 23 days during the period the budget was being prepared. I did not prepare or defend any budget, and nobody went to defend it on my behalf. That is why I am confused about how the agency found its way into the national budget.”

Speaking on his allegations against the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, Adeyemi said he would rather allow an independent investigation establish the facts than make further accusations.

“I wouldn’t say he’s lying, and I wouldn’t say he’s telling the truth. That is why I requested that Mr President set up an investigative panel to unravel the truth, so we will know those involved,” he said.

Adeyemi further claimed that he survived an attack by gunmen near Zuma Rock in September 2025 and maintained that his involvement with the council was motivated by a desire to attract foreign investment into Nigeria.

“I don’t really have a negative plan. It’s all about passion for the country. That agency is to bring foreign investors to Nigeria and make Nigeria a preferred destination for investment,” he said.

On Tuesday, President Tinubu had ordered the ICPC to investigate the activities of the purported council and submit a comprehensive report within 30 days.

The President also directed the anti-corruption agency to investigate the forged appointment letters and official government documents allegedly used by Adeyemi to seek or obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation, as well as the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents.

The directive followed growing calls from civil society organisations, opposition politicians and senior lawyers for an independent investigation into how the council allegedly operated from the Federal Secretariat Complex, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with an allocation of N1.3bn and engaged diplomatic missions despite the absence of any enabling law or presidential instrument.

The Presidency has maintained that the Federal Government never established the council and has denied any connection between Gbajabiamila and the alleged scheme, stating that police forensic analysis confirmed the signature on Adeyemi’s appointment letter was forged.

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