By Mercy Aikoye
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) on Tuesday summoned the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) over the issuance of official Federal Government number plates allegedly used by the controversial organisation.
The decision followed the testimony of the Managing Director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, Mr. Gbenga Collins, who told lawmakers that he paid N400 million after being promised a contract by the alleged Director-General of the PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, directed the FRSC Corps Marshal to appear before the panel on Thursday to explain the procedure for issuing official government number plates and clarify how vehicles linked to the purported agency came to bear Federal Government registration.
The committee said the official number plates and government vehicles were among the factors that gave the alleged agency an appearance of legitimacy and convinced Collins that he was dealing with a genuine Federal Government institution.
Testifying before the panel, Collins said he first met Adeyemi in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, in December 2024 before being invited to Abuja in early 2025 to discuss a business opportunity.
According to him, he was received at the Abuja airport by an official vehicle and taken to an office at the Federal Secretariat, where he met security personnel, government officials and several visitors, leaving him convinced that Adeyemi was indeed a senior government official.
He said Adeyemi later offered his company a contract to renovate and furnish what was presented as the official residence of the PFIPC Director-General and subsequently handed him a contract award letter, scope of work and an agreement with his company.
Collins told lawmakers that he was instructed to pay N400 million as proof of his company’s financial capacity and to facilitate mobilisation for the project. Believing the contract to be genuine, he said he sourced the funds from business associates and made the payments in five instalments between May and July 2025 into accounts belonging to World Entrepreneurs Limited and Sunshine Confectionery and Catering Services.
He said mobilisation for the contract never materialised despite repeated assurances, prompting him to consult a lawyer who advised him that he had likely been defrauded. A petition was subsequently submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which commenced investigations into the matter.
Collins appealed to the lawmakers to help ensure justice, saying the incident had crippled his business and forced him to begin selling his property to repay those who contributed the money.
During the hearing, lawmakers questioned whether the payment amounted to a bribe or whether due procurement procedures had been followed. Collins denied paying a bribe but admitted that he did not undergo the required procurement process before accepting the purported contract.
Addressing concerns over Adeyemi’s absence at the hearing, Gagdi explained that the suspect remains in police custody under a subsisting court order and could not be produced before the committee.
He disclosed that the panel would instead meet Adeyemi at an undisclosed date and location, in the presence of his lawyers and the police, to avoid compromising ongoing investigations by the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other security agencies.
Gagdi said the committee would continue its public hearing on Thursday before concluding its assignment and presenting its report to the House of Representatives.
The committee is investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged establishment and operations of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, including allegations of forgery, impersonation, financial impropriety and abuse of public institutions.
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