BY: CHARLES CHIJIOKE
A Nigerian businessman, Gbenga Collins, has told the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing the alleged activities of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) how he allegedly paid N400 million to Adeniyi Adeyemi after being promised a lucrative government contract that never materialised.
Collins, the Managing Director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, narrated before lawmakers that he believed Adeyemi was a genuine federal government official because he operated from an office inside the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, moved in vehicles bearing federal government number plates and was surrounded by security personnel and prominent visitors.
Afrilensnews reports that the committee, chaired by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), is investigating the alleged illegal establishment and operations of the purported PFIPC, including claims of impersonation, forgery, financial fraud and abuse of public institutions.
Collins told lawmakers that he first met Adeyemi during a programme in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, in December 2024 before receiving an invitation to Abuja early in 2025 for what was presented to him as a business opportunity.
According to him, an official Lexus SUV carrying federal government registration plates picked him up from the Abuja airport and drove him to Adeyemi’s office at the Federal Secretariat.
“When I arrived at the airport, he sent an official car to come and pick me from the airport to his office at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.”
He said the official setting convinced him he was dealing with a legitimate government agency.
“I saw police officers with him. That was my first time coming to Abuja because I’m not familiar with Abuja very well. He sent his official car to pick me up from the airport. It had a federal government registration number attached to the Lexus SUV.”
Collins further disclosed that Adeyemi later informed him that an official residence allocated to him required renovation and furnishing and subsequently offered his company the contract.
He explained that he was personally taken to inspect the property alongside several staff members and security operatives.
“He told me that he wanted to do refurbishment and renovation of the official house assigned to him as the DG of that agency and asked whether I would be able to handle the contract.”
According to Collins, discussions progressed until April 2025 when he was invited back to Abuja and handed a contract award letter, a scope of work and an agreement allegedly signed between the purported agency and his company.
He told the committee that Adeyemi demanded N400 million to prove his financial capacity and facilitate mobilisation for the project.
“He gave me the contract award letter, the scope of work and the agreement with my company to execute the refurbishment project.”
“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. At the same time, he said it would fast-track the mobilisation for the contract.”
Collins said he sourced the money from business associates who trusted his judgment because he had personally visited Adeyemi’s office and believed the project was genuine.
He revealed that the payments were made in five instalments between May and July 2025, with N380 million paid into the GTBank account of World Entrepreneurs Limited before the remaining N20 million was transferred into an Access Bank account belonging to Sunshine Confectionery and Catering Services.
“When I was paying the money, I kept telling him that I collected the money from my colleagues who were doing business with me.”
“I was the one who told them I had gone to this man’s office, so I believed it was going to be a great opportunity for us. That was why people started giving me the money.”
Despite completing the payments, Collins said the promised mobilisation never came. Instead, he received repeated assurances that security concerns were delaying the project before communication eventually stopped.
“When I finished the payment, he said they were going to do the mobilisation by August.”
“I continued calling him. He kept managing me, telling me they were handling security issues and that they would pay in November.”
He told lawmakers that it was his lawyer who eventually informed him he had allegedly fallen victim to a scam.
The businessman disclosed that a petition was submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 13, 2025, after which investigators reportedly invited individuals linked to the bank accounts that received the funds.
According to him, investigators informed him that Adeyemi repeatedly failed to honour invitations, allegedly citing health challenges through his lawyer.
Collins emotionally appealed to the committee to help recover his money, saying the incident had ruined his business and forced him to begin disposing of his properties.
“I just want to beg the chairman and the honourable members to help me talk to all the agencies involved because I have been frustrated, especially by those people who gave me the money. I have started selling my property. My business is not going well again.”
He added: “I did all this based on trust. When I went to his office, I met many dignitaries, people waiting to see him, and others with whom he was in discussions about contracts. I also did it because he is from my hometown.”
During the hearing, Chairman Yusuf Gagdi questioned whether the N400 million payment amounted to a bribe for securing the contract. Collins rejected that suggestion, insisting the payment was presented merely as a condition for facilitating mobilisation.
Lawmakers also established that Collins did not go through the statutory public procurement process before accepting the contract. The committee further summoned the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to appear on Thursday to explain how vehicles allegedly linked to the purported PFIPC obtained federal government registration number plates, a development that could expose possible abuse of government vehicle registration processes if confirmed.
Explaining Adeyemi’s absence from the hearing, Gagdi said the committee was respecting an existing court order which keeps him in police custody.
“We do not have the power as the National Assembly to vacate an existing court order and say that somebody who is in the custody of the Nigerian Police should leave the police to appear before the National Assembly.”
He, however, assured Nigerians that the committee would still question Adeyemi at an undisclosed location in the presence of his legal representatives and relevant security agencies to avoid disrupting ongoing investigations by the EFCC, ICPC and other authorities.
The committee is expected to continue its public hearing on Thursday before presenting its final report to the House of Representatives. The outcome of the investigation could lead to criminal prosecutions, tighter scrutiny of fake government agencies, possible reforms in the issuance of official government number plates and stronger safeguards against contract-related fraud within public institutions.
