Police, DSS, ICPC Cleared Me Of Allegations — Gbajabiamila
By The Analyst News Desk
ABUJA — Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said investigations by security and anti-corruption agencies have cleared him of allegations linking his office to the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Gbajabiamila’s position comes amid investigations into the controversial organisation and allegations surrounding the purported appointment of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi as its Director-General.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in its interim investigation, found no evidence linking Gbajabiamila to Adeyemi’s appointment or the operations of the purported council.
The ICPC said the appointment letter presented by Adeyemi, which purportedly carried Gbajabiamila’s authority and signature, was forged. The commission also established that the PFIPC was not created by any law, executive order or other valid government instrument.
The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the matter subsequently reached a similar preliminary conclusion, saying documentary evidence before it did not establish that Gbajabiamila authorised, approved, established or participated in the activities of the purported organisation.
According to the committee, Gbajabiamila had instead contacted relevant security and investigative agencies after concerns over the organisation were brought to his attention. The agencies mentioned included the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant authorities.
The committee also found that the purported appointment letter attributed to Gbajabiamila was not issued or signed by him and that the document differed from authentic State House correspondence in key respects.
The development followed allegations by Adeyemi that had brought Gbajabiamila's office under public scrutiny. Gbajabiamila denied the allegations and subsequently instituted a defamation suit against Adeyemi.
The ICPC's findings have since shifted investigative attention towards the alleged forgery of government documents, impersonation and how a purported agency without a valid legal foundation was able to operate within parts of the Federal Government's administrative structure.
The House committee has also called for relevant investigative agencies to conclude their work and prosecute any person against whom sufficient admissible evidence is established. It stressed that criminal responsibility remains a matter for a court of competent jurisdiction.
Gbajabiamila's latest position therefore comes against the backdrop of multiple investigative findings which, at the preliminary stage, have not established his involvement in the alleged activities of the purported PFIPC.
The broader investigation into how the organisation allegedly penetrated government structures, obtained official-looking documents and operated as a government entity remains ongoing.