The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) has announced plans to interrogate the organisation’s purported Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, at an undisclosed location while he remains in police custody.
The committee said the decision was necessary to avoid disrupting ongoing investigations being conducted by security and anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The investigation centres on allegations of impersonation, forgery, financial impropriety and the unlawful use of government facilities and official insignia by the purported council.
During a public hearing, Managing Director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, Gbenga Collins, told lawmakers that he paid ₦400 million to Adeyemi after allegedly being promised a contract to renovate and furnish what was presented as the official residence of the council’s Director-General.
Collins explained that he believed the organisation was a legitimate government agency because Adeyemi operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, used official vehicles bearing government registration numbers and was accompanied by security personnel.
According to him, Adeyemi introduced himself as the head of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council during meetings held in Abuja.
The businessman said he was later offered a renovation contract and was instructed to pay ₦400 million as proof of his company’s financial capacity and to facilitate mobilisation for the project.
He told lawmakers that the payments were made in instalments into accounts belonging to two companies and that he subsequently realised he may have been defrauded after repeated promises of mobilisation failed to materialise.
Collins disclosed that he petitioned the EFCC after consultations with his lawyer and alleged that the suspect repeatedly failed to honour invitations from investigators.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, clarified that Adeyemi’s absence from the hearing was due to an existing court order placing him in police custody.
He stressed that the National Assembly would not violate judicial processes but would nevertheless engage the suspect at a later date in the presence of his legal representatives and security authorities.
Gagdi said the committee’s primary objective is to obtain clarifications on critical issues surrounding the alleged operations of the organisation before concluding its investigation and presenting its report to the House of Representatives.
Lawmakers are also investigating how government number plates and other official insignia allegedly linked to the purported council were obtained, with the Federal Road Safety Corps expected to appear before the committee for questioning.
The panel is expected to conclude its hearings this week before submitting recommendations for legislative action.
