The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has launched an investigation into the alleged scandal surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
At the center of these allegations is Adeniyi Adeyemi, who has called on President Bola Tinubu to establish a separate, independent panel to conduct a thorough probe.
Adeyemi is due to be arraigned today before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a new charge (FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025). Meanwhile, ICPC spokesperson John Odey confirmed on Monday that the commission is actively handling the case and has the capacity to investigate independently or in collaboration with other agencies.
The matter has been given to us. We are working on it. The ICPC’s capacity to work alone or with other agencies has never been in doubt,” Odey stated.
The probe follows President Tinubu’s directive last Tuesday, which ordered the ICPC to investigate the purported PFIPC and the alleged insertion of N1.3 billion into the 2026 Appropriation Bill. The commission is expected to submit its findings within 30 days.
In an open letter dated July 13, Adeyemi welcomed the President’s directive as a positive step but argued it did not go far enough to ensure a fair and credible process, since the ICPC ultimately reports to the same branch of government implicated in the allegations. “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 wrote.
Facing allegations related to the scandal, Adeyemi claimed that the current investigative framework does not guarantee him a fair hearing. He expressed concern that official narratives have already prejudged him, overshadowing the systemic issues and high-level involvement he has highlighted. “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 stated.
He further alleged that surrendering to authorities under the present arrangement would endanger his life. “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 claimed.
Adeyemi also questioned the reported death of Dolapo Tanimola, whom he described as a central intermediary in the matter. He cited the lack of independent verification regarding Tanimola’s alleged death in a fire at Kachi Hotel, Abuja, and noted that the hotel was later demolished by unidentified armed individuals, effectively erasing the crime scene and potential evidence.
To guarantee transparency, Adeyemi urged President Tinubu to set up an independent panel that would include representatives from civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, independent media, international financial institutions, diplomatic missions, and human rights groups, with the ICPC and EFCC serving as technical partners. He suggested that bodies such as Amnesty International, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, the World Bank, the IMF, the United Nations, the African Union, ECOWAS, the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom should be represented.
Adeyemi pledged to present comprehensive documentation and verifiable evidence as soon as such an independent, multi-stakeholder panel is constituted. “A system cannot credibly investigate itself when its own key actors are central to the discourse,” he said, arguing that establishing such a panel would bolster public confidence and demonstrate the government’s commitment to accountability.
