Police have arrested the father of Adeyemi Adeniyi as investigations continue into allegations surrounding the creation of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The Adeyemi fake agency investigation has attracted national attention following claims that the suspect fraudulently established what the Presidency has described as a fictitious presidential council.
The arrest took place in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, where police also detained a family friend who was reportedly visiting the residence at the time.
The development comes as the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) clarified that no account was successfully opened with the Central Bank of Nigeria for the purported council and that no public funds were released to it despite an earlier budgetary allocation.
The clarification contradicts an earlier position reportedly attributed to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.
Adeyemi has remained out of public view following allegations that he defrauded the Federal Government through the establishment of the purported council.
He is currently facing charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation, and related offences connected to his purported appointment as Director-General of the PFIPC.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana condemned the arrest of Adeyemi’s father, describing the action as unlawful.
According to Falana, police officers stormed the family residence located at Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind Technical College, Road Safety Area, Ogbomoso, and arrested the suspect’s father along with a family friend.
He argued that there was no legal justification for what he described as a substituted arrest.
“The father has been arrested. There is no legal basis for substituted arrests. The young man has promised to show up in court, so why arrest his father?” Falana said.
Residents of the area also confirmed the operation, saying officers arrived in multiple vehicles before taking the elderly man away.
One resident, who requested anonymity, alleged that the officers prevented neighbours from intervening during the arrest and later stationed personnel around the residence.
Another resident said Adeyemi’s father was arrested alongside a visitor, while the suspect’s mother was left visibly traumatised after the operation.
Falana maintained that allegations involving the purported PFIPC should be handled strictly through due process, stressing that only the courts have the constitutional authority to determine criminal liability.
Reacting to enquiries, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Ayanlade Olayinka, said the matter falls outside the command’s jurisdiction.
According to him, the case is being handled by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja because it is considered a matter of national interest.
He advised journalists and members of the public seeking official updates on the investigation to direct enquiries to the Force Public Relations Officer or the FCID Liaison Public Relations Officer at Force Headquarters.
The investigation into the alleged fake presidential council and the criminal charges against Adeyemi remains ongoing before the Federal High Court.