Release Gbajabiamila’s interrogation video on fake agency – Sowore tells ICPC

Human rights activist and AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has challenged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to release the full, unedited video of its interrogation of the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.

Sowore made the demand on Tuesday in a post on X, dismissing the anti-graft agency’s explanation that Gbajabiamila merely honoured an invitation from investigators.

“If the ICPC truly interrogated Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, they should release the full, unedited video recording to the public now. All these gimmicks won’t work. We know this is just another smokescreen,” Sowore wrote.

His comments followed a statement by the ICPC denying reports that Gbajabiamila was arrested over the PFIPC scandal.

The commission said the Chief of Staff voluntarily appeared at its headquarters in Abuja on Monday after receiving an invitation from investigators.

According to the ICPC, Gbajabiamila responded to questions relating to the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council before leaving after making his statement.

“The Commission confirms that the Chief of Staff’s visit was on the invitation of its investigators and consistent with its ongoing efforts to gather all relevant facts in the matter.

“He was not arrested; he simply willingly honoured an invitation,” the commission said.

The anti-graft agency said President Bola Tinubu directed it to investigate how the purported agency allegedly operated from the Federal Secretariat in Abuja for about two years under Adeniyi Adeyemi, who presented himself as its Director-General.

The PFIPC controversy has also triggered a House of Representatives investigation.

At a public hearing on Monday, the Central Bank of Nigeria admitted it opened two foreign-currency domiciliary accounts for the purported agency after receiving a mandate from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

CBN Director of Banking Services, Hamisu Ibrahim, told lawmakers that the accounts, one in US dollars and another in British pounds, were opened after the bank verified the mandate but were never activated because no one came forward to operate them.

Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as Director-General of the council, has since been arrested and is facing prosecution over the matter.(Punch)