The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, was not arrested over the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
In a statement on Tuesday, Okor Odey, ICPC spokesman, said the ex-house of representatives speaker simply honoured the commission’s invitation on the ongoing probe of the PFIPC saga.
Odey said the chief of staff left the ICPC headquarters immediately after questioning.
“Mr Gbajabiamila arrived at the Commission in the afternoon and spent some time attending to enquiries from investigators, after which he departed the premises,” the statement reads.
“The Commission confirms that the Chief of Staff’s visit was on the invitation of its investigators and consistent with its ongoing efforts to gather all relevant facts in the matter. He was not arrested; he simply willingly honoured an invitation.
“Investigations continue, and further updates will be communicated as appropriate.”
On Monday, Jiti Ogunye, Gbajabiamila’s counsel, disclosed that the chief of staff appeared at the ICPC headquarters, where he was grilled over the PFIPC controversy.
On July 2, Tinubu directed ICPC to conduct a “thorough investigation” into the PFIPC scandal.
Bayo Onanuga, the president’s spokesperson, had said Tinubu asked the ICPC to conclude the investigation and submit a comprehensive report to him within 30 days.
Without a legal framework or presidential declaration, PFIPC operated akin to a government agency, complete with an allocation in the 2026 budget, an office space at the federal secretariat, while recruiting staff members.
The controversy came to the fore on June 11, 2026, when Gbajabiamila issued a statement in which he said the PFIPC does not exist under the Tinubu administration.
The chief of staff had said his office did not appoint Adeniyi Adeyemi, director-general of the disowned agency, to any position in the organisation.
However, at a press conference on June 26, Adeyemi faulted the presidency’s disclaimer.
He alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional N200 million to secure his appointment.
The police subsequently filed criminal charges against Adeyemi over alleged forgery and impersonation.
On July 14, the police arrested Adeyemi in Osun state after a bench warrant was issued against him.
He was taken into custody the same day the federal high court in Abuja ordered his arrest after he failed to honour the court’s summons.
