The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the alleged creation of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council has directed the Inspector-General of Police to produce the alleged promoter of the organisation, Adeniyi Adeyemi, before the panel on Wednesday.
The committee’s directive comes amid renewed calls for the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to appear before lawmakers over allegations linking his office to the controversy.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, said Adeyemi’s appearance was essential to clarify issues arising from documents and testimonies already presented during the ongoing investigation.
According to Gagdi, the probe involves the credibility of several government institutions, making it necessary for the suspect to personally respond to the allegations.
“We need Mr. Adeyemi to appear before this committee because several names and institutions have been mentioned. His testimony is crucial to enable us conclude our assignment without compromising ongoing investigations,” Gagdi said.
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi informed the panel that the police had already filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi before the Federal High Court.
He, however, cautioned lawmakers against seeking information that could interfere with ongoing criminal investigations or matters already before the court.
As the probe continued, stakeholders intensified calls for Gbajabiamila to testify before the committee following claims that the suspect mentioned his name during police investigations.
Political analyst Jackson Ojo faulted the committee for delaying the invitation of the Chief of Staff, arguing that his appearance would help dispel public doubts surrounding the allegations.
Similarly, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) urged the committee to widen its investigation by inviting the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, while calling for greater transparency and accountability.
The police also told lawmakers that Adeyemi allegedly used forged State House documents to seek official recognition for the council, secure office accommodation, request the recruitment of about 300 personnel, and pursue budgetary allocations for the agency.
The committee further disclosed that investigators had identified about 29 suspected forged documents, including fake presidential approvals, counterfeit Acts of the National Assembly, and forged letters purportedly issued by several federal agencies.
Meanwhile, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, told the panel that although administrative requests linked to the council were processed, no government funds were released to the organisation.
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