Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has denied any involvement in the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, saying he has never betrayed the President’s trust.
Gbajabiamila clarified allegations linking him to the organisation and claims that he authorised its activities.
The House of Representatives committee investigating the purported agency has, however, said its preliminary findings found no evidence that Gbajabiamila approved, established or participated in its operations.
Instead, the committee said documents before it showed that the Chief of Staff took steps to alert security and investigative agencies after concerns about the organisation were brought to his attention.
The committee said Gbajabiamila communicated with the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, while also initiating administrative checks.
The panel further found that a letter purportedly appointing Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi as Director-General of the PFIPC and allegedly bearing Gbajabiamila’s authority was fabricated.
Evidence obtained from the State House showed that no such appointment was made or approved by the Presidency and that Gbajabiamila neither issued nor signed the letter, according to the committee.
The committee also found that the purported organisation had no valid legal basis, saying it could not identify any authentic Act of the National Assembly, executive order or other lawful instrument establishing the PFIPC.
Its preliminary findings further uncovered alleged irregularities involving official documents, bank accounts and entities linked to Adeyemi.
The panel said its investigation identified about 58 bank accounts linked through identifying information associated with Adeyemi, with more than 30 accounts apparently operated in the names of several agencies, companies, foundations or related entities. It stressed that the investigation was ongoing and that not every identified account or transaction had been established as unlawful.
The development followed separate allegations made against Gbajabiamila by Adeyemi, who was accused of operating the purported agency.
Gbajabiamila has rejected the allegations and previously instituted a N15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
In the suit, the Chief of Staff denied ever meeting Adeyemi, communicating with him or authorising anyone to demand or receive money on his behalf.