Gbajabiamila cleared as Presidency rejects ₦400m bribery allegation, labels it scam

The Presidency has shot down any insinuations that the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, may have been involved in a bribery case involving ₦400 million, describing the claims as part of activities carried out by a criminal gang through forgery and impersonation.

According to Central Post Nigeria, the clarification was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.

The clarification came against the backdrop of demands by the former Vice President and the candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) for presidency, Atiku Abubakar, that President Bola Tinubu should suspend Gbajabiamila following the alleged involvement of the latter in a scandal.

According to Onanuga, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who purportedly claims to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, is an impostor who allegedly forged appointment letters, official seals, and reference numbers.

Onanuga stated that it was after the Office of the Chief of Staff reported the matter to the security agencies in October 2025 that Adeyemi was found to have been meeting unauthorizedly with foreign diplomats and even seeking a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure visas for people posing as staff from the agency.

In a petition dated October 17, 2025, Gbajabiamila wrote:

“The attention of this office has been drawn to the activities of certain individuals and groups engaged in the forgery of official appointment letters purportedly issued from my office.

“The above development not only constitutes a serious criminal act but also undermines the integrity of the Presidency and the credibility of official government communication. I therefore urge you to initiate a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend those involved.”

Following the petition, security agencies arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025.

Investigators reportedly discovered that he operated 34 bank accounts, including nine opened under fictitious government agency names.

According to the police investigation led by Assistant Commissioner Kabir Mogaji, Adeyemi’s activities amounted to criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.

“The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community,” the police report stated.

The Presidency said the police subsequently filed an eight-count charge against Adeyemi before the Federal High Court in Abuja, with trial scheduled to commence on July 27.

Onanuga explained that while on police bail, Adeyemi resurfaced with fresh allegations against Gbajabiamila, prompting another public disclaimer from the Chief of Staff on June 8, reaffirming that the suspect had no relationship with the Presidency.

The statement also alleged that Adeyemi had a history of impersonation, recalling a 2016 incident in which he falsely presented himself as an ambassador and President-General of a fictitious United Nations-affiliated youth organisation before the UN publicly denied the body’s existence.

The Presidency warned politicians and members of the public against relying on Adeyemi’s claims, stressing that the matter is already before the court.

“Politicians and members of the public who are weaponising Adeyemi’s claim against the Chief of Staff should refrain from swallowing his narrative hook, line and sinker,” Onanuga said.

He urged interested parties to await the outcome of the court proceedings, adding that further public commentary on the allegations remains sub judice.