The Managing Director of Divine Dopacy Nigeria Limited, Gbenga Collins, has told the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council that he paid N400 million to the council’s purported Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, after allegedly being promised a contract to renovate and furnish what was presented as the DG’s official residence.

Collins made the disclosure on Tuesday as the committee continued its probe into the alleged establishment and operations of the PFIPC.

Recounting his experience before the lawmakers, Collins said he had no reason to doubt the agency’s legitimacy because Adeyemi operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, was accompanied by security personnel, used official vehicles bearing government number plates, and received visitors in what appeared to be a genuine government office.

Collins, a graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, told the committee that he first met Adeyemi, whom he described as a fellow indigene of Ogbomoso, at a programme in their hometown in December 2024.

He said Adeyemi subsequently invited him to Abuja in early 2025 to discuss what was presented as a business opportunity.

“When I arrived at the airport, he sent an official car to come and pick me up from the airport to his office at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

“When I got to his office, I met him there. He is a well-known man in Ogbomoso. I met a lot of people, very big dignitaries in his office, and I met a group of security officers guarding the office,” he said.

Collins told the committee that Adeyemi introduced himself as the Director-General of both the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the PFIPC.

He said it was his first trip to Abuja and that the official environment in which Adeyemi operated gave him no reason to doubt the authenticity of his claims.

“I saw police officers with him. That was my first time coming to Abuja because I’m not familiar with Abuja very well. He sent his official car to pick me up from the airport. It had a Federal Government registration number attached to the Lexus SUV,” he said.

Collins said Adeyemi later told him that he had been allocated an official residence in his capacity as DG and wanted his company to undertake the renovation and furnishing of the property.

He added that Adeyemi personally took him to inspect the building before discussions on the project proceeded.

“He told me that he wanted to do refurbishment and renovation of the official house assigned to him as the DG of that agency and asked whether I would be able to handle the contract.

“He took me to the house to show me the property because I slept in Abuja. We went there the following day with his staff. We went with more than four, five or six vehicles with security. They opened the house and took us round, showing me what they wanted to do,” Collins added.