ADENIYI Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), has written an explosive open letter to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to constitute an independent panel to investigate the controversy surrounding the agency and to include representatives of the United States, the United Nations, the United Kingdom and other international bodies in the process.
In the letter, Adeyemi insisted that any probe panel set up to investigate the PFIPC saga must be “independent” and “multi-stakeholder” in order to guarantee complete neutrality and inspire confidence among Nigerians and the international community.
He argued that the proposed panel should comprise representatives of civil society organisations, independent media organisations, international financial observers and human rights groups, including Amnesty International, to ensure compliance with international legal and safety standards.
Adeyemi further proposed the inclusion of diplomatic observers drawn from the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union.
He also suggested that anti-corruption agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should participate only as technical partners within what he described as a broader and independent coalition.
President Tinubu had earlier directed the ICPC to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversy over the PFIPC. However, Adeyemi argued that because the agency is part of the government structure, it would be inappropriate for it to conduct the investigation alone.
“If this investigation is to command the absolute trust of the Nigerian public and the international community, it must transcend standard bureaucratic boundaries,” Adeyemi said.
“The moment this independent, multi-stakeholder panel is constituted, I will immediately step forward to present comprehensive documentation and verifiable evidence,” he added.
“A system cannot credibly investigate itself when its own key actors are central to the discourse.”
While commending President Tinubu for ordering an investigation into what he described as the circumstances surrounding the “PFIPC scandal and the ₦1.3 billion allocation inserted into the 2026 Appropriation Bill,” Adeyemi maintained that the probe would only enjoy public confidence if it was conducted outside the existing government framework.
“This directive is a vital first step, but the structural realities of this investigation compel me to speak out of a profound desire for absolute transparency,” he stated.
According to him, “True accountability cannot be achieved when the agency conducting the investigation answers directly to the branch of government within which the core allegations lie.”
Adeyemi also claimed that surrendering himself to security agencies under the current arrangement would place his life in danger.
“Furthermore, I must state clearly that walking freely into custody under the current arrangement poses an immediate, existential threat to my life. I have received verified, highly reliable intelligence indicating that I am targeted for elimination the moment I surface in an unmonitored environment,” he alleged.
The embattled PFIPC chief said his fears were heightened by the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, whom he described as a key intermediary in the matter.
“This is not an unfounded fear. My concerns are deeply validated by the highly alarming events surrounding Mr Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, a central intermediary in this matter,” he said.
Adeyemi noted that official reports claimed Tanimola died in a fire outbreak at Kachi Hotel in Utako, Abuja, but questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Official reports claim Mr Tanimola tragically died in a sudden fire incident at Kachi Hotel in Utako, Abuja. Yet, there remains a total absence of independent eyewitness or media verification of any such inferno,” he stated.
“More disturbingly, under highly unclear circumstances and without the official involvement of any federal capital regulatory agency, the entire Kachi Hotel structure was swiftly invaded by unidentified armed actors and manually demolished down to the rubble days later—effectively erasing a vital physical crime scene and erasing material evidence.”
The letter comes amid the lingering controversy over the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, which the Presidency has repeatedly insisted does not exist.
Despite the official position of the government, Adeyemi has continued to insist that he was legitimately appointed to head the agency.
He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and accused the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other senior government officials of frustrating his activities after he allegedly refused to comply with certain directives.
During a press conference last month, Adeyemi challenged Gbajabiamila’s position on the matter, arguing that the PFIPC could not have appeared in the 2026 budget if it was non-existent.
He further alleged that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives received ₦400 million from him through a proxy and subsequently demanded an additional ₦200 million to facilitate his appointment.
Prosecutors, however, have accused Adeyemi of forging several government documents, including a presidential appointment letter and official letter-headed papers.
The allegations form part of the criminal charges currently pending against him, but Adeyemi has maintained his innocence and insisted that his appointment was genuine.
“If I’m wrong, let the court of law do that, and if I’m right, let the court of law do that; do the right thing,” he said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.