ABUJA, NIGERIA — Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the disputed Director-General of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), has rejected attempts by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee to question him in police custody without his legal representatives and members of the press present.
Adeyemi, who remains in police custody, insisted that any interrogation by lawmakers must take place in an open, public setting rather than through closed-door sessions or undisclosed locations.
The demand comes as the House Ad-hoc Committee, chaired by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, continues its legislative inquiry into how the PFIPC operated within the Federal Secretariat complex, obtained official government vehicle number plates, and secured a ₦1.32 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite lacking legal authorization.
Key Operational Highlights
-
Interrogation Stand-off: Adeyemi declined to answer questions when members of the House Ad-hoc Committee visited his custody facility, citing the absence of his defense counsel, Ademola Oyedokun, and accredited journalists.
-
Demand for Public Forum: Defense lawyers and family members argued that because all allegations against Adeyemi by government agencies were made in public proceedings, his response must be received in a public forum.
-
ICPC Findings: The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) submitted an interim report to President Bola Tinubu recommending Adeyemi’s prosecution for forgery and impersonation. The ICPC also uncovered two additional fake bodies—the FCT Investment Promotion Agency (FIFA) and Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (PIPA-PPP)—linked to Adeyemi.
-
CUPP Call for Broader Probe: The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) urged investigators to look beyond Adeyemi, questioning how an unauthorized council could obtain office space, issue official correspondence, and secure national budget entries without institutional facilitation.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ HOUSE REPS PFIPC INQUIRY STAND-OFF MATRIX │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Key Subject : Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi (Purported DG, PFIPC) │
│ • Current Status : In Police Custody under Court Order │
│ │
│ • Key Demand : Presence of legal counsel & press during panel │
│ questioning │
│ │
│ • House Panel Chair : Hon. Yusuf Gagdi │
│ • Defense Counsel : Ademola Oyedokun │
│ │
│ • Core Allegations : Forgery of presidential appointment letters, │
│ unlawful use of government insignia, and │
│ unauthorized ₦1.32bn budget insertion │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘“Everyone Else Was Heard in Public… He Should Be Allowed to Answer in Public”
“We have read that the committee intends to interview our client at an undisclosed date and place. We ask it, respectfully, to think again. Everyone else in this matter has been heard in public, and what has been said about our client was said in public. He should be allowed to answer in the same place it was said.” — Ademola Oyedokun, Defense Counsel
Confirming that Adeyemi declined to respond to lawmakers during their visit to the detention facility, his brother, Peter Adeyemi, added:
“The Reps committee came and wanted to interrogate him, but he refused. They are still there trying to make him talk without any of his lawyers being present… He has stated that he wants to be quizzed the same way others who have accused him have spoken. It’s not that he is not willing to state his side of the story.” — Peter Adeyemi, Family Representative
Reacting to the ongoing probe and the ICPC interim report, spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Agu Bryan, urged the panel to examine institutional lapses across government ministries.
“How could a non-existent government agency secure office accommodation, participate in official activities, recruit staff, and receive a budgetary allocation without assistance or enabling actions from government officials? A transparent confrontation with the evidence will establish whether other individuals or institutions were involved.” — Agu Bryan, CUPP Spokesperson
