The former director general of federal agency later disowned by the government says his life is under threat after he refused to hand over part of the agency’s funding.
Adeniyi Adeyemi led the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which received an allocation of N1.3 billion in the 2026 budget before Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, described the agency as fake.
Adeyemi has called on Tinubu to set up an independent panel to investigate the matter. He alleged the dispute began after he refused to surrender 48% of the agency’s take-off grant, and said he paid N400 million to secure his appointment as director general, with an outstanding balance of N200 million.
In an interview with Premium Times published Thursday, Adeyemi denied wrongdoing and said the government’s actions were a “defense mechanism” to silence him.
“You know the government we have. They are just playing a defense mechanism to shut me up. My organisation was set up in 2024,” he said.
Adeyemi said he has gone into hiding, fearing for his safety.
“They are now after my life. I have gone into hiding. I’m underground,” he said. “I don’t consider myself safe.”
Separately, The Cable reported that the federal government granted the agency a waiver in August 2025 to recruit 300 staff members despite an ongoing embargo on general civil service hiring.
According to the report, Mimi Abu, director of organisation design and development in the office of the head of the civil service of the federation, approved the recruitment in an Aug. 7, 2025, letter. The approval covered 10 directors at grade level 17, 20 assistant directors at grade level 15, and 44 administrative officers across several grade levels.
The letter said the approval was limited to the agency’s 2025 established staffing positions and required clearance from the Budget Office of the Federation, adherence to federal character principles, and that 5% of hires be reserved for people with disabilities. It also stated the approval could not be exceeded, that officials from the civil service office were required to be present during recruitment, and that a list of successful candidates be submitted for record-keeping.