Falana kicks as police arrest controversial agency DG’s father, family friend

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has condemned the arrest of the father and a family friend of the embattled Director-General of the controversial Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeyemi Adeniyi, by police operatives in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

Falana described the action as unlawful, insisting there is no legal basis for what he termed a “substituted arrest.”

According to him, operatives stormed the residence of Adeniyi’s parents and arrested his father alongside a visitor.

“Police stormed the residence of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi in Ogbomoso and arrested his father. There is no legal basis for substituted arrest. The young man has promised to appear in court, so why arrest his father?” Falana queried.

Residents of the area confirmed the incident, stating that the operatives arrived in about four vehicles and whisked the elderly man away, leaving behind tension in the neighbourhood.

“They came in multiple vehicles and took the father away. They didn’t allow neighbours to intervene,” a resident said.

Another witness disclosed that the father was arrested alongside a visiting family friend, while Adeniyi’s mother was left in shock.

“The mother was left traumatised, but neighbours have taken her to a safer place,” the source added.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the matter falls outside the command’s jurisdiction.

He explained that the case is being handled by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Force Headquarters, Abuja, and advised that further inquiries be directed to the appropriate authorities.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has clarified that the disputed PFIPC never operated a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account.

The clarification comes amid claims that the embattled Adeniyi had opened an account using forged documents.

Director of Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, stated that although an application was initiated, the process was never completed due to the failure to submit required documentation, including authorised signatories.

“The account was never activated and has not received any funds,” Mokwa said, stressing that no government money was released to the council.

He added that despite a budgetary allocation of about N1.3 billion to the council in the 2026 Appropriation Act, no disbursement could be made without fulfilling statutory requirements.

Adeniyi is currently facing charges bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation, and related offences at a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Presidency has maintained that the PFIPC is a fictitious entity and has warned Nigerians against dealing with individuals claiming to represent it.

The controversy, which began in October 2025, has continued to generate debate over accountability and transparency in Nigeria’s public financial and administrative processes.