Barring any last-minute changes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odimegwu-Ojukwu, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Permanent Secretary of the State House are expected to appear before the House of Representatives’ Ad-hoc Committee investigating the inclusion of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PEAC/PFIPC) on Thursday.

The Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, on Tuesday, while giving his closing remarks after an interface with the Managing Director of Divine Dopacy Limited, Mr. Gbenga Collins, received a vivid account of how the self-acclaimed PEAC/PFIPC Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, allegedly requested the payment of N400 million to facilitate a N2,874,590,261.70 contract for the refurbishment and furnishing of an official residence purportedly allocated to him in Abuja.

Collins further informed the lawmakers that Prince Adeyemi was accompanied by some of his staff, who allegedly used official vehicles with customised government number plates while taking him to the official residence in Abuja during one of his visits from Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

Gagdi explained that the FRSC Corps Marshal was invited to personally appear before the committee to explain the procedure for the issuance of official number plates to government establishments.

He added that the committee remained committed to concluding the public hearing this week before presenting its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Collins presented bank records, which he said showed that the N400 million allegedly demanded by Prince Adeyemi was paid in five instalments into accounts belonging to World Entrepreneurship University Limited and Sunshine Confectionery and Catering Services.

According to the witness, N100 million was transferred on May 16, 2025; another N100 million on May 22; a further N100 million on May 28; N80 million on June 20 into World Entrepreneurship University Limited’s Guaranty Trust Bank account; while the balance of N20 million was paid into the Access Bank account of Sunshine Confectionery and Catering Services on July 29, 2025.

Collins told the committee that the money was raised from his business associates engaged in agribusiness in Ogbomoso and appealed to the lawmakers to assist him in recovering the funds, saying the development had prevented him from participating in the 2026 cashew business and had subjected him to pressure from his colleagues to refund their investments.

Responding to questions from members of the panel, Collins denied that the N400 million was intended as a bribe before the award of the contract. He maintained that his company neither applied for nor participated in any bidding process, adding that he was handed the contract award letter, bill of quantities, and agreement documents before being asked to make the payment as a condition for facilitating mobilisation.

The witness recounted that he first met Prince Adeyemi during a festive event in Ogbomoso in December 2024 before he was invited to Abuja in January 2025, where discussions on the alleged contract commenced. He claimed he was picked up from the airport in an official Lexus Jeep bearing government number plates and taken to an office at the Federal Secretariat before being shown the residence earmarked for refurbishment.

According to Collins, Prince Adeyemi later informed him in April 2025 that the contract had been awarded to his company and allegedly requested N400 million to demonstrate his financial capacity and fast-track mobilisation.

“He (Adeyemi) gave me the contract award letter, the scope of work and the agreement with my company to execute the refurbishment project and asked me to pay N400 million for the facilitation of that project… So I paid the money in five batches. I have the payment slips here,” he told the committee.

He further alleged that after the payment, Prince Adeyemi initially promised that mobilisation would be released in August 2025 but later cited security concerns and postponed payment until November.

Collins said repeated attempts to reach him failed, prompting him to engage a lawyer, who petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 13, 2025.

“My lawyer was the first one that told me that I had been scammed,” he said. (Nigerian Tribune)

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