Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Monday appeared before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as part of an ongoing investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), an agency alleged to have operated without official authorization.

The anti-graft commission is probing the circumstances surrounding the establishment and activities of the purported council, which was allegedly run by Mr. Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who presented himself as its Director-General.

Adeyemi had initially accused Gbajabiamila of orchestrating the creation of the council. However, he later withdrew the allegation, claiming instead that his now-deceased associate was the individual who interacted with the Chief of Staff during the alleged formation of the agency.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, on July 7, directed the ICPC to investigate the operations of the purported agency and submit its findings within 30 days.

Confirming Gbajabiamila's appearance before the commission, his lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, said the Chief of Staff honoured the invitation in full cooperation with investigators.

"In full cooperation with the ICPC, acting on the directive of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I hereby confirm that my client, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, responded to the invitation of the ICPC.

"He appeared at about 3 p.m. on Monday as part of the ongoing investigation into the activities of the fake PFIPC, among other issues.

"My client gave his testimony, responded to questions accordingly and has since returned to his duty post."

Meanwhile, Adeyemi Matthew, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the PFIPC, was arrested last week after a court issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

He is currently believed to be in police custody as investigations into the alleged fake agency continue.