By Samuel Akpan
Nigeria’s Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has clarified that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, was not arrested regarding the PFIPC controversy.
According to ICPC spokesperson Okor Odey, Gbajabiamila voluntarily honored an official invitation to answer investigators’ questions on Tuesday afternoon before leaving shortly after.
The commission emphasized that the visit was part of an ongoing fact-finding effort, confirming details earlier shared by Gbajabiamila’s lawyer, Mr. Jiti Ogunye (SAN), who disclosed on Monday that his client had been questioned at the headquarters.
Persecondnews recalls that the probe was initiated following a directive from President Tinubu on July 2, tasking the ICPC with a thorough investigation into the PFIPC saga, with presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga indicating that a comprehensive report should be submitted within 30 days.
The PFIPC had drawn scrutiny for functioning without any legal framework or formal presidential declaration, yet it maintained a budget allocation in the 2026 fiscal year, occupied office space at the federal secretariat, and proceeded to recruit personnel in a manner typical of official government bodies.
The public controversy intensified on June 11 when Gbajabiamila issued a statement asserting that the PFIPC does not exist under the current administration and that his office had not appointed Adeniyi Adeyemi to the position of director-general.
Adeyemi, however, pushed back during a June 26 press conference, claiming that Gbajabiamila had received N400 million through an intermediary and had further demanded an additional N200 million to facilitate his appointment.
Tensions rose as the police formally charged Adeyemi with forgery and impersonation linked to the PFIPC controversy.
On July 14, the case reached a turning point with Osun State police taking Adeyemi into custody on a bench warrant, backing an arrest order from the Federal High Court in Abuja after he skipped a court appearance.