The controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal intensified on Monday following the reported arrest of the father of the council’s promoter, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the PFIPC, is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. The Federal Government has also listed the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and 10 others as prosecution witnesses in the case.
According to reports, Adeyemi’s father was arrested at his residence in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, alongside a family friend who had visited the home, leaving Adeyemi’s elderly mother distressed.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, confirmed the arrest, questioning its legality.
“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?” Falana said.
Residents in the area also alleged that police officers arrived in four vehicles before taking the elderly man away, while another witness claimed he was taken to the Agbomire Police Station.
NBA, Senior Advocates fault reported arrest
The reported arrest has drawn widespread condemnation from legal practitioners and human rights advocates, who maintained that Nigerian law prohibits the arrest of relatives solely to compel a suspect to surrender.
President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), said the legality of the arrest depends on whether Adeyemi’s father is himself a suspect.
“If the arrest was made merely to pressure the suspect into surrendering, it is unlawful. However, if the father is a suspect or a person of interest in the investigation, then the law permits such an arrest,” he said.
Several other Senior Advocates of Nigeria expressed similar views.
Prof. Sam Erugo (SAN) described the arrest of a parent for the alleged offence of a child as unlawful, citing Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which prohibits arrest by proxy.
Similarly, Isiaka Olagunju (SAN) stressed that criminal liability is personal and cannot be transferred to family members, except where there is credible evidence linking them to the alleged offence.
Wolemi Esan (SAN) noted that both Section 7 of the ACJA and Section 20 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020 expressly prohibit “arrest in lieu,” adding that the Supreme Court has consistently declared the practice unconstitutional.
Dr. Wahab Shittu (SAN) also maintained that the police cannot lawfully arrest relatives merely to compel a suspect’s cooperation. He cited Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Sections 6, 7 and 8 of the ACJA, emphasizing that criminal responsibility is personal.
Shittu added that the legal position would only differ if investigators possess independent evidence linking Adeyemi’s father to the alleged offences.
Police yet to explain arrest
The Nigeria Police Force has not officially confirmed the basis for the arrest.
Force Headquarters spokesperson, Anietie Iniedu, said he had not been briefed on the incident and requested details of the police unit responsible before commenting further.
Similarly, the Oyo State Police Command stated that the investigation is being handled by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja and advised inquiries be directed to Force Headquarters.
Accountant-General denies release of funds
Meanwhile, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has denied reports that public funds were released to the controversial PFIPC.
The Director of Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa, explained that although an application was initiated to open a government account for the council, the process was never completed because the applicants failed to provide the required signatories.
According to him, no operational account was created and, consequently, no public funds could have been released to the council.
He also dismissed claims that the council benefitted from the 2026 Appropriation Act, noting that implementation of the budget only commenced on July 1, after the controversy surrounding the agency had already emerged.
Senate distances itself from PFIPC budget
The National Assembly also rejected suggestions that it bears responsibility for the controversial N1.3 billion allocation to the PFIPC.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senator Cyril Fasuyi, said the committee neither supervises the council nor has any oversight responsibility over it.
Another senior senator, who spoke anonymously, argued that the legislature only considers budget proposals submitted by the Executive and does not create agencies through the appropriation process.
The lawmaker explained that ministries, departments and agencies prepare budget proposals which are vetted by the Budget Office, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning before being transmitted to the National Assembly.
According to the senator, lawmakers examine appropriation estimates and conduct budget defence sessions but do not investigate the legality of agencies already captured in the Executive’s budget proposals.
The lawmakers therefore maintained that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the National Assembly should not be blamed for the inclusion of the PFIPC in the 2026 budget.
CDHR demands immediate release
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) also condemned the reported arrest, describing it as a violation of constitutional and statutory safeguards.
In a statement signed by its National President, Yinka Folarin, and National Secretary, Idris Afees, the organisation urged the Inspector-General of Police to immediately release Adeyemi’s father unless there is credible evidence directly linking him to any criminal offence.
The group cited Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, Section 7 of the ACJA, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all of which prohibit arbitrary arrest and protect personal liberty.
According to the organisation, criminal liability is personal, and no individual should be detained solely because of their relationship with a suspect.
The CDHR warned that it would continue to monitor the matter and pursue all available legal and human rights mechanisms if the reported unlawful detention persists.