A businessman has told a Nigerian House of Representatives panel that he paid N400 million to the alleged director-general of a fake government agency to help secure a contract. The testimony was given during a probe by the lower chamber, according to The ICIR.
The businessman said the payment was made to Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is accused of heading the purported Presidential Fiscal Intervention and Priority Projects Committee (PFIPC). The witness claimed the money was meant to facilitate the award of a contract, The ICIR reports.
The House of Representatives is investigating the activities of the PFIPC, which is not recognised as an official government body. Adeyemi has reportedly rejected the panel’s request for a closed-door session, insisting on a public hearing, according to Punch Newspapers.
The probe has drawn attention to how private individuals may have used the name of a non-existent agency to solicit funds. Premium Times and TheCable also covered the businessman’s testimony, confirming the N400 million figure and the identity of the alleged recipient.
The Guardian has linked the legislative testimonies to broader questions about the PFIPC and its connection to Femi Gbajabiamila, though the nature of that connection is not detailed in the available reporting.
The panel is expected to continue hearing evidence from other witnesses in the coming weeks. Whether Adeyemi will be compelled to testify in public remains unclear.
