Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the central figure in the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) saga, has called on President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent multi-stakeholder panel to investigate the alleged ₦1.3 billion budget insertion linked to the scandal, claiming that surrendering to security agencies under the current arrangement would endanger his life.
In an open letter addressed to the President on Monday, Adeyemi welcomed Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the PFIPC controversy but argued that the commission alone could not guarantee public confidence in the probe.
“I commend your recent directive tasking the ICPC with investigating the circumstances surrounding the PFIPC scandal and ₦1.3 billion allocation inserted into the 2026 Appropriation Bill. This directive is a vital first step, but the structural realities of this investigation compel me to speak out,” he wrote.
Adeyemi insisted he was not evading justice but seeking an impartial investigation.
“I write to you not as a fugitive evading accountability, but as a Nigerian citizen who maintains an unwavering belief in equity, justice and the rule of law,” he stated.
The embattled promoter alleged that the public narrative surrounding the case had focused largely on his arrest while ignoring what he described as broader systemic failures and the alleged involvement of high-ranking officials.
According to him, “true accountability cannot be achieved when the agency conducting the investigation answers directly to the branch of government within which the core allegations lie.”
Adeyemi further claimed that his life was under threat, alleging he had received credible intelligence that he would be eliminated if he surfaced in an unmonitored environment.
“Walking freely into custody under the current arrangement poses an immediate, existential threat to my life. I have received verified, highly reliable intelligence indicating that I am targeted for elimination the moment I surface,” he alleged.
He also questioned the circumstances surrounding the reported death of Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, whom he described as a key intermediary in the PFIPC matter.
Adeyemi claimed that although official reports said Tanimola died in a fire at Kachi Hotel in Abuja, there was no independent verification of the incident, adding that the hotel was later demolished by unidentified armed men, allegedly destroying a crucial crime scene.
He said the developments, coupled with alleged attempts on his life and threats to his family, had forced him into hiding.
To ensure credibility, Adeyemi urged President Tinubu to establish an independent investigative panel comprising civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, independent media representatives, international financial institutions, human rights organisations, diplomatic observers, and anti-corruption agencies, including the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“The moment this independent, multi-stakeholder panel is constituted, I will immediately step forward to present comprehensive documentation and verifiable evidence,” he said.
He argued that “a system cannot credibly investigate itself when its own key actors are central to the discourse,” adding that a broader inquiry would demonstrate the administration’s commitment to transparency and anti-corruption.
The Federal Government and the ICPC have yet to respond to the allegations contained in the open letter.
The claims made by Adeyemi, including those relating to threats to his life and the circumstances surrounding Tanimola’s death, have not been independently verified.
