A United States-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has offered to assist Adeniyi Adeyemi, the embattled Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, in seeking asylum and whistleblower protection in the US.
The firm’s founder, Karl Von Batten, disclosed this in a post on X, saying the allegations raised by Adeyemi warrant investigation by US authorities because Nigeria’s national budget includes funds sourced from the World Bank, in which the US is the largest shareholder.
The offer comes amid controversy surrounding the PFIPC, an agency the Presidency has insisted does not exist despite reportedly receiving an allocation in the 2026 budget, operating from the Federal Secretariat and recruiting staff.
Adeyemi had challenged the Presidency’s denial, questioning how the agency appeared in the 2026 budget if it was never established.
According to Von Batten, he had spoken with Adeyemi and found him “sincere and credible.”
He said the allegations should be investigated by the US Congress, the Department of State, the Treasury Department, the Government Accountability Office and other relevant agencies.
Adeyemi alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, appointed him as Director-General of the PFIPC and accused him of receiving N400 million through a proxy while demanding an additional N200 million to secure the appointment.
He also called for an investigation into the death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom he described as an intermediary, and claimed attempts had been made on his life.
Von Batten said members of US President Donald Trump’s team had been briefed on the allegations, adding that lawmakers in Congress would also be briefed.
He warned that if anything happened to Adeyemi or his family while he was cooperating with US authorities, President Tinubu would be held responsible.
Meanwhile, Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the PFIPC controversy and submit its findings within 30 days.
