Fake agency: Abure, ex-minister deny links to late suspect

The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, and former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, have distanced themselves from the reported middleman in the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council scandal, the late Dolapo Tanimola.

The denials followed the emergence of photographs showing Abure, Shittu and other notable personalities with Tanimola amid the ongoing investigation into the PFIPC.

Tanimola came into the spotlight after the Presidency identified him as the man whom the alleged Director-General of the fictitious agency, Adeniyi Adeyemi, reportedly told investigators helped him obtain the disputed appointment letter as the agency’s DG.

The emergence of photographs showing Tanimola with several prominent political leaders, business figures and public officials has fuelled public interest in his identity and possible influence before his death.

According to information released by the Presidency, Tanimola died in a fire incident at Kachi Hotel in the Utako District of Abuja on October 22, 2025.

His death occurred five days before the arrest of Adeyemi, who has been identified as the prime suspect in the scandal.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, Abure, through his spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, dismissed any suggestion of a relationship between the Labour Party chieftain and the late Tanimola.

He said Abure could neither recognise the deceased nor recall where and when the photograph was taken.

“If you look at the photograph in question, you will discover that it is very old; so old that even Abure himself can’t even remember where it was taken.

“Again, due to his position as a former national chairman of the party, hundreds of people had visited him in the past. So, we don’t really have a good recollection of how the photo came to be.

“That picture I saw must have been taken over 15 years ago or thereabouts. Take Peter Obi, for instance, quite a number of people take selfies with him wherever he goes. But how many of them does he know?

“So, we don’t think this is really something newsworthy to start talking about. There is no relationship between the two,” he said.

Similarly, Shittu denied knowing Tanimola, saying he could not recognise the deceased.

The erstwhile coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Campaign Organisation said, “Honestly, I don’t know him. Please send me the controversial photograph you are talking about. Perhaps, I may remember his face.”

However, about 10 minutes later, Shittu called back after viewing the image and maintained that he had never met Tanimola.

“No, he is not a familiar face. In fact, I am just seeing the so-called picture for the first time. But how and where it emanated from is what I can’t understand.”

The photographs, first published by Daily Trust, show Tanimola with several prominent Nigerians at different events over the years.

Among those captured with him are former President Goodluck Jonathan, ex-Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), billionaire businessmen Tony Elumelu and Abdulsamad Rabiu, former Inspectors-General of Police Mike Okiro, Solomon Arase and Kayode Egbetokun, philanthropist Arthur Eze, Lagos Deputy Governor and APC governorship candidate Obafemi Hamzat, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

While the photographs do not establish any relationship between Tanimola and the personalities or indicate that they had knowledge of the activities under investigation, they have heightened public curiosity about his background and the extent of his access to influential figures.

On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the fictitious agency and all related matters, with a directive to submit its findings within 30 days.

According to the Presidency, investigators are probing forged appointment letters and other official government documents allegedly used by Adeyemi, who reportedly presented himself as the Director-General of the non-existent council and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee.

The investigation also covers allegations that he used the purported appointment to seek official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation, and opened multiple bank accounts in the names of supposed government agencies using forged documents.