The Centre for Transparency and Accountability in Governance (CTAG) has called on the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant anti-corruption agencies to immediately investigate and arrest Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi over alleged impersonation, dissemination of false information and attempts to undermine public institutions.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Sunday Itodo, the group described Adeyemi’s allegations against the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as reckless and scandalous, insisting that the claims warrant urgent investigation.
CTAG said the Office of the Chief of Staff’s disclaimer that no agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) exists under the Presidency casts serious doubt on Adeyemi’s claims that he heads the organisation.
According to the group, Adeyemi’s public claim to lead an agency disowned by the Presidency raises concerns bordering on national security, public trust and the credibility of government institutions.
The organisation challenged Adeyemi to publicly produce his appointment letter as head of the purported agency and disclose the authority under which he was appointed.
It also questioned his claim that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation approved about 300 staff members for the take-off of the agency.
CTAG demanded that Adeyemi publish the identities of the alleged staff members, indicate when and where the recruitment exercise was advertised, provide evidence of their appointments, disclose the payroll platform through which they are paid and reveal the source of funds used for their remuneration.
The group further queried Adeyemi’s assertion that the agency operates an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), urging the apex bank to clarify whether such an account exists and, where permissible under the law, provide relevant details regarding its establishment and authorised signatories.
On Adeyemi’s allegation that he paid N600 million through a third party to secure the appointment, CTAG described the claim as too weighty to remain unsubstantiated.
It urged him to produce documentary evidence, including bank transfer records, payment receipts, account details, dates of payment, identities of intermediaries and any communications supporting the alleged transaction.
The group also called on Adeyemi to provide evidence to substantiate his claim that the Chief of Staff demanded a percentage of a purported N24 billion take-off grant allegedly approved for the agency.
CTAG stressed that while public officials should remain accountable and open to scrutiny, allegations of corruption or misconduct must be supported by credible and verifiable evidence.
It warned against what it described as the growing trend of using unsubstantiated allegations and media campaigns to blackmail, distract or extort public office holders.
The organisation urged security agencies to carry out a thorough and transparent investigation into all the allegations made by Adeyemi and ensure that anyone found culpable of impersonation, fraud, dissemination of false information or criminal defamation is prosecuted in accordance with the law.
It added that safeguarding the integrity of the Presidency and other public institutions remains essential to preserving public confidence in governance.
