Police have arrested the father of Adeyemi Adeniyi, the embattled Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), along with a family friend, during an operation in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The arrest comes as Adeniyi remains out of public view following allegations that he created a fake presidential council and used it to defraud the Federal Government.
The development also coincided with a clarification by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), which stated that no Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account was successfully opened for the controversial council and that no public funds were released to it despite a budgetary allocation. The clarification differs from an earlier position attributed to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), confirmed the arrest during a telephone interview with journalists on Monday. He said police officers stormed the family’s residence at Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind the Technical College in the Road Safety area of Ogbomoso and arrested Adeniyi’s father as well as a family friend who was visiting.
However, Falana also condemned the action, describing it as a form of substituted arrest with no legal basis.
“Police have now stormed the house of the parents of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi. The father has been arrested. There is no legal basis for substituted arrests. The young man has promised to appear in court, so why arrest his father?” he said.
Residents of the area also confirmed the incident. One resident, who requested anonymity, said police officers arrived in four vehicles before taking Adeniyi’s father away.
“They came in four vehicles, started harassing the family and eventually took the father away. They did not allow neighbours to intervene. A man in blue clothes is still patrolling the area,” the resident said.
Another resident said Adeniyi’s father was arrested alongside a visitor, while his mother, who was left behind, was visibly distressed.
“Baba was taken away with someone who came to visit them this morning. The mother was left in shock, but neighbours have moved her to another location,” the resident said.
The arrests come amid ongoing controversy surrounding the purported PFIPC, which the Presidency has described as a fictitious organisation.
Adeniyi is facing charges before a Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of forgery, impersonation and related offences connected to his purported appointment as Director-General of the council.
Falana maintained that the allegations against Adeniyi should be determined through due process, stressing that only the courts have the constitutional authority to establish criminal liability.