Gbenga Collins, managing director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, has told the House of Representatives ad hoc committee that he paid N400 million to a man who posed as a federal government official, in connection with a contract to renovate and furnish an official residence. The revelation came during a hearing on Tuesday, August 4, as part of the committee's investigation into the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the N1.3 billion allocated to it in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
How the Businessman Was Drawn In
Collins testified that he first met Adeniyi Adeyemi in December 2024, when Adeyemi introduced himself as the director-general of both the PFIPC and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. According to Collins, he had no reason to doubt Adeyemi's credentials because the man operated from an office inside the federal secretariat in Abuja, drove official vehicles with government number plates, and was accompanied by security personnel.
The Lagos-based businessman told the committee that Adeyemi later approached him about plans to renovate his official residence and invited Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited to handle the project. Adeyemi personally escorted Collins to inspect the property, bringing along staff and security.
The Contract and the Payment Demand
By April 2025, Collins said he received a contract award letter, a scope of work, and a formal agreement for the refurbishment project. Adeyemi subsequently requested N400 million, which Collins understood as proof of his company's financial capacity and a condition for securing contract mobilisation.
Collins told the committee: "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." He explained that he sourced the funds from business associates who trusted him based on his personal visits to Adeyemi's office. The money was paid in five instalments between May and July 2025 into accounts held by World Entrepreneurs Limited and Sunshine Confectionery and Catering Services.
Promised Mobilisation That Never Came
Despite repeated assurances that mobilisation payments would begin in August 2025 and later pushed to November 2025, neither promise was fulfilled. Collins said his lawyer was the first person to tell him he had been scammed, and a petition was subsequently filed with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Collins acknowledged that he did not follow the Public Procurement Act but denied that the payment was a bribe, insisting he regarded it as a standard facilitation condition. He appealed to the committee to help recover the funds, as reported by The Cable.
Background to the PFIPC Scandal
The controversy over the PFIPC has drawn in Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, whom Adeyemi claims issued his appointment letter, an allegation Gbajabiamila has denied. Adeyemi was arrested on July 14 by police intelligence operatives in Osun State, days after Gbajabiamila filed a N15 billion defamation suit against him.
Earlier hearings produced additional testimony: on July 27, accountant-general Shamseldeen Ogunjimi said Adeyemi intercepted a State House letter that could have exposed forged PFIPC documents, while on July 29, head of the civil service Esther Walson-Jack admitted there was no proper verification of the council's documents before staffing approvals were granted.
Adeyemi Claims More MDAs Were Involved
Previously, the self-described Director-General of the disputed PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, pushed back against allegations that he fabricated the agency on his own, claiming that some of the most powerful offices in the Federal Government formally engaged with the council. Adeyemi, who is currently in police detention, issued the claims through his legal defence team on Sunday, August 2, in a statement signed by Festus Akhigbe.
