A United States lobbying firm retained by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has vowed to brief members of President Donald Trump's administration over the arrest of self-acclaimed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi.
The Washington-based firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, announced its position on Wednesday, hours after operatives of the Nigeria Police Force arrested Adeyemi in Osun State following a bench warrant issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja.In a statement published on its official X account, the firm alleged that the arrest occurred at a critical stage when Adeyemi was preparing to submit documents and a sworn statement relating to allegations he had made against senior Nigerian government officials.
"We learned a short time ago that Mr. Adeyemi has been arrested just as we were preparing for him to speak with senior members of President @realDonaldTrump's Administration," the statement said.
The lobbying firm further claimed that Adeyemi was expected to provide documentary evidence requested by officials in Washington.
"We are told that his arrest occurred shortly after it became public that we were in contact with him and just before he was expected to provide us with evidentiary materials and a sworn statement regarding his account.
"Those materials were to be transmitted to senior members of the Trump Administration, who had requested that we provide all available information concerning Mr. Adeyemi's allegations."
The company alleged, without presenting supporting evidence, that the arrest may have been orchestrated to prevent Adeyemi from sharing information with United States authorities.
"Tomorrow, we will report that Mr. Adeyemi has been arrested. We will also report our concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding his arrest, including information we have received suggesting that his prompt arrest was pushed by President Tinubu's Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to prevent Mr. Adeyemi from presenting evidence to the U.S. government.
"We will keep the public updated on developments."
Earlier this week, the firm's Managing Partner, Karl Von Batten, disclosed that he had already discussed Adeyemi's allegations with members of President Trump's team and planned to extend the briefing to the United States Congress and other federal institutions.
"This is Dr. Von Batten. I just spoke with Mr. Adeyemi. I found him to be sincere and credible. Based on our discussion, I believe his allegations warrant an investigation by Congress, @StateDept, @USTreasury, @USGAO, and other relevant U.S. agencies due to the alleged misappropriation of U.S.-funded World Bank loans by senior members of the Nigerian government.
"This past weekend, I briefed senior members of President @realDonaldTrump's team on these allegations, and our team will begin briefing Members of Congress this week," he stated.
However, Nigerian authorities maintain that Adeyemi's arrest followed allegations of serious criminal offences.
The Nigeria Police Force said the suspect was apprehended by operatives of its Intelligence Response Team after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, issued a bench warrant over alleged conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
According to police investigators, Adeyemi allegedly forged official government documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter said to have been signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, while falsely presenting himself as Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council—an organisation the Presidency has publicly stated does not exist.
Before his arrest, Adeyemi had claimed he paid ₦400 million through an intermediary to secure the appointment and alleged that his life was in danger.
He also accused Gbajabiamila of demanding a share of the agency's proposed budget, an allegation that has not been admitted by the Presidency.
The Federal High Court has adjourned the matter until September 30, 2026, for Adeyemi's arraignment.
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