A Nigerian businessman has told the House of Representatives that he gave Adeniyi Adeyemi N400 million to facilitate a government contract linked to the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. The promised project was never mobilised, according to his testimony, raising fresh questions about whether the appearance of government authority was used to obtain money from unsuspecting Nigerians.
Gbenga Collins, managing director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, gave the account on Tuesday before the House ad hoc committee investigating the PFIPC scandal and the N1.3 billion included for the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Collins said Adeyemi offered his company a contract to renovate and furnish an apartment described as the PFIPC director-general’s official residence. He told lawmakers that he believed the council was a genuine federal agency because Adeyemi operated from the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, used vehicles carrying government number plates and moved with staff and security personnel.
Businessman says official appearance built trust
Collins said he first met Adeyemi in December 2024, when Adeyemi introduced himself as the director-general of both the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
According to his evidence, Adeyemi later invited his company to carry out work on an official residence and personally took him to inspect the property. He said Adeyemi was accompanied by staff members and security personnel during the visit.
In April 2025, Collins said he received a contract award letter, an agreement and details setting out the proposed refurbishment work. These documents, combined with Adeyemi’s office and apparent government connections, convinced him that the opportunity was genuine.
Collins alleged that Adeyemi later demanded N400 million as evidence that his company had the financial strength to execute the project and as a condition for facilitating mobilisation.
“I had to pay N400 million for the facilitation of that project to show my strength that I would be able to handle the project,” he told the committee.
The businessman said he obtained the money from associates who trusted his judgement because he had visited Adeyemi’s office and believed he was dealing with a properly established government body.
He claimed the money was transferred in five instalments between May and July 2025 into accounts belonging to World Entrepreneurs Limited and Sunshine Confectionery and Catering Services.
Promised contract payment never arrived
Collins said the promised mobilisation did not come, despite assurances that payment would begin first in August and later in November 2025.
“My lawyer was the first person who told me that I had been scammed,” he said.
A petition was later submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and Collins asked the House committee to help recover the money.
He admitted that the arrangement did not follow Nigeria’s public procurement rules. However, he rejected the suggestion that the N400 million was a bribe, saying he understood it to be a payment required to facilitate the contract.
Under normal government procurement procedures, companies are expected to compete through an authorised tendering process. A demand for money to prove financial capacity or secure mobilisation should therefore raise serious concerns, particularly where payment is requested into private company accounts.
The testimony shows how official offices, vehicles, documents and security personnel can make a disputed organisation appear legitimate. It also highlights the need for contractors and members of the public to confirm an agency’s legal status, budget authority and procurement process before transferring money.
Adeyemi’s response not included in testimony report
The report did not include an immediate response from Adeyemi to Collins’s specific allegation. However, the absence of a response must not be treated as an admission of wrongdoing.
Adeyemi has denied broader accusations that he deliberately operated a fraudulent organisation. He has maintained that he believed his appointment was genuine and has previously claimed that he borrowed N400 million to secure the position. He said those who lent him the money had reported him to the EFCC over the unpaid debt.
The Presidency has taken a different position. It says the PFIPC was never created by President Bola Tinubu’s administration and that Adeyemi was not appointed by the Office of the Chief of Staff. It has also warned members of the public, financial institutions and diplomatic organisations against dealing with the council.
Adeyemi is facing criminal allegations, including forgery and impersonation. Those charges have not resulted in a conviction, and he remains entitled to defend himself in court.
Investigation exposes failures within government
The House committee is also examining how the disputed council obtained office space, banking arrangements, staffing approvals and a N1.3 billion budget allocation despite the Presidency’s insistence that it did not legally exist.
The Accountant-General of the Federation told the committee that Adeyemi allegedly intercepted a letter that could have exposed problems with PFIPC documents. The Head of the Civil Service also admitted that proper checks were not carried out before the council received approval for a staffing structure and recruitment waiver.
These disclosures suggest that the investigation must go beyond Adeyemi. Lawmakers and anti-corruption agencies need to establish whether public officials, financial institutions or private intermediaries helped the organisation pass through government systems.
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