The controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3bn Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council scandal deepened on Monday following the arrest of the father of the council’s embattled promoter, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, by the Nigeria Police Force amid ongoing investigations into the purported ghost agency linked to the Presidency. Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the council, is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation, with the Federal Government listing the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and 10 others as prosecution witnesses in the case. It was gathered that Adeyemi’s father was arrested alongside a family friend who visited the residence on Monday morning, leaving the suspect's aged mother in shock.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, and eyewitnesses confirmed the arrest. Speaking on the development, Falana said, “Police stormed the house of the parents of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi on Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind Technical College, Road Safety Area, Ogbomoso,” adding, “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?”. Neighbors stated that police officers arrived at the premises in four vehicles, harassed the occupants, and took the father away to the Agbomire police station alongside the visitor, leaving the mother in a state of shock.
The arrest has triggered fresh legal and human rights concerns, with the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and other Senior Advocates of Nigeria warning that Nigerian law does not permit the arrest of relatives merely to compel a suspect to surrender. Osigwe cautioned against rushing to conclusions because the exact circumstances remain unclear. Osigwe said, “I’m careful about saying such things because I don’t know why his father was arrested,” noting that the law forbids proxy arrests. He added, “If a person is arrested for the purpose of putting pressure on a suspect who cannot be found, or to compel a person who is being investigated to surrender, then it is unlawful,” but clarified, “But if the person is being arrested in the person’s own right as a suspect or a person of interest in any investigation, then the law would permit that.”.
Prof. Sam Erugo, SAN, noted that arresting a parent for an offence allegedly committed by a child is completely illegal. Erugo said, “It is unlawful to arrest a father for an offence allegedly committed by the son,” explaining that Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, expressly prohibits arrest by proxy. He added, “The Nigerian public deserves more information from the arresting authority,”. Isiaka Olagunju, SAN, also maintained that criminal responsibility is personal, stating, “It is unlawful to arrest a suspect’s father or relatives in a criminal case,” and added, “Except if the father is also involved in the case, then the police can arrest,”. Wolemi Esan, SAN, described the practice of arrest in lieu as having no place in Nigeria’s legal system. Esan said, “Arrest in lieu has no place in Nigeria’s legal system,” adding, “The Supreme Court has consistently denounced the practice as unconstitutional and a clear violation of the fundamental rights of those unlawfully arrested.”. He noted that Section 35(6) of the 1999 Constitution guarantees redress, stating, “Any law enforcement agency that engages in arrest in lieu acts in defiance of both statutory and constitutional safeguards,”.
Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN, also condemned the practice as an unlawful substitutional arrest. Shittu said, “The power of the Nigerian Police Force to arrest is neither unlimited nor unconditional,” adding that law enforcement agencies must operate within constitutional limits. He noted that Adeyemi is already standing trial and is on bail, meaning he is not a fugitive from justice. He remarked, “If the true purpose of the operation was to pressure Adeyemi in connection with his pending prosecution or public allegations, that would amount to the very substitutional arrest prohibited by Section 7 of the ACJA and condemned by the courts,”. He added, “Should the police demonstrate that the father was arrested on the basis of an independent, particularised reasonable suspicion of his own complicity, the arrest would be assessed as an ordinary arrest of a suspect and not as a substitutional arrest,”.
Meanwhile, police authorities have remained silent on the exact details of the arrest. Force Headquarters spokesman, Anietie Iniedu, stated that he had not been briefed on the matter, saying, “I have not been briefed on the arrest. Who picked him up? Which section? Which section in FCID? The police force is large. Tell me the section, so, I can find out from them.”. Similarly, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, stated that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja. Ayanlade said, “The case involving Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew is a matter of national interest and is currently under investigation by the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja. As such, it falls outside my jurisdiction. Consequently, anyone seeking updates regarding the alleged arrest of his parents in Ogbomoso or any other developments in the case is kindly advised to contact the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, or the FCID Liaison Public Relations Officer for accurate and official information.”.
In another development, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has stated that no public funds were released to the controversial council, insisting that the body never operated a functional government account. The Director of Press and Public Relations in the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, explained that although an application was initiated to open an account, the process was never completed because the applicant failed to provide authorized signatories. Mokwa said, “An account that is not concluded and does not become operational is not an account. They actually applied, but when it got to the stage where they would provide the signatories, they couldn’t provide.”. He added, “Usually, organisations that are duly established will bring the necessary documents. They started the process, but when it got to the stage of providing the signatories, he couldn’t provide those people. So, there was no operational account.”. Addressing reports that the council had received funds following its inclusion in the 2026 Appropriation Act, Mokwa dismissed the claims, stating, “On the issue of the budget allocation, yes, it has been mentioned as if the Budget Department gave him a budget, but it is just July 1 that we started the implementation of the 2026 budget. By that time, his case had already started.”. He concluded, “If he doesn’t have an operational account, where would they put the money? There wasn’t any money given,”.
Meanwhile, lawmakers cautioned against blaming the Senate and its President, Godswill Akpabio, over the controversial N1.3bn allocation, insisting that the legislature neither created the agency nor originated its budget. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senator Cyril Fasuyi, distanced his committee from the controversial agency. Fasuyi said, “I am not sure I have heard of that PFIPC before. Every MDA falls within the oversight of its relevant Senate committee. But I honestly don’t know the committee in charge of this PFIPC. It is not under the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service where I serve as chairman. Those that fall within oversight are training centres in Nigeria, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Civil Service commission, National Assembly Service Commission, Salaries and Wages Commission and PENCOM. These are the relevant agencies under my committee.”.
Another Senate committee chairman, speaking on condition of anonymity, also defended the legislature, saying, “I’m not the right person to ask. But before anybody can talk, you must know the actual committee responsible for that agency. Akpabio has nothing to do with the creation of any agency, especially when it has something to do with ‘presidential council or anything’ as the name implies. You see, I have listened and also have seen comments on what people write or say about the said agency. Many went out of their way to ask why the Senate approved its budget. This is to tell you we are following all the drama.”. A principal officer of the Senate also exonerated the legislature, explaining that budget proposals originate strictly from the Executive. The lawmaker said, “For anybody to fully understand how the Senate works, he needs to look at the process. First, I am a legislator not the executive. Now, let me talk on that agency. There are two creations of any establishment in Nigeria. It is either by legislative or executive. For instance, the majority of these commissions or agencies are creation of executive act. So, by looking at this particular agency’s name, Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, you can tell easily tell that it is not the creation of the legislature. Secondly, there is the need to find out its mandate. Again, the FG also has a duty to refer such an agency to the National Assembly after it is created for ratification,”.
The lawmaker added that the vetting of funds follows an envelope budgeting system, stating, “Again, when we are talking of vetting, we will also consider allocation of funds because what we use here in Nigeria is the envelope system. This implies that when you submit your request, the ministry and other bodies would have looked at it vis-Ã -vis the policy alignment of the government. How much are we planning to spend and what will be the national revenue? This is because if MDAs are allowed to do as they wish, we may not be able to fund all. It may exceed what the entirety is able to rake in as revenue. This is why both the budget office and the economic planning ministry play a key role with finance ministry.”. The senator maintained that the National Assembly only considers budget estimates forwarded by the Executive, stating, “It is not the job of the Senate or the National Assembly to determine what the budget should be for a particular year. That is why it is sometimes laughable when the media bring on guests who don’t really understand legislative functions to discuss. Is it Akpabio that earmarked the PFIPC budget or included it in the budget? Are we the ones who gave the agency CBN-approved accounts? Honestly, I am not bothered about the Executive as far as this is concerned. But it is wrong to keep harassing and dragging the legislature into what it knows nothing about,”.
He explained that during budget defense, lawmakers only examine figures and not the legality or creation of agencies, stating, “Hold on, let me explain. There is little or nothing we can do once a budget finds its way into an appropriation bill for a particular year. As lawmakers, we vet only budgets, not the creation of MDAs. That is not our job. The exercise is budget defence. During budget defence, you only look at figures; nobody examines establishment details because that is not the mandate,”. He concluded that lawmakers assume the Executive has done its due diligence, stating, “This is because for any figure to find its way into the budget, you would assume the Executive has done its own part. As a member of the APC, I am not condemning the Executive for what happened. But if you want to investigate this matter, know where to focus. Don’t drag the legislature into issues like this,”. The senator compared it to ministerial screenings, stating, “For instance, when you screen a minister, the documents submitted are forwarded to the DSS, police and other agencies for vetting. It is not the function of the Senate to verify documents, because it is assumed the Executive and relevant agencies have done their due diligence. I hope you still remember the controversy surrounding former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination. Where did it start? It was from the national security apparatus and the DSS. Our job is to work on verified documents transmitted to us and then proceed to budget defence as long as the MDAs are captured in the appropriation,”. He added, “Secondly, the Senate cannot anticipate problems, especially when the appropriation bill has been presented by Mr President for the National Assembly to consider. The role of the Senate is appropriation, oversight and lawmaking,”. He concluded, “I believe you can now understand why I am livid at those calling out Akpabio and blaming the National Assembly for not knowing that the PFIPC is a fake agency,”.
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights has also condemned the arrest, calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to order the immediate and unconditional release of Adeyemi’s father. In a statement jointly signed by its National President, Yinka Folarin, and National Secretary, Idris Afees, the group described the practice as unlawful and unconstitutional. The statement read, “The Nigeria Police Force is a professional institution established to enforce the law, not to circumvent it,” adding, “The powers of arrest vested in the police must be exercised strictly within constitutional and statutory limits. Any deviation erodes public confidence and undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system.”. The organisation added, “Accordingly, the CDHR calls on the Inspector-General of Police to order the immediate and unconditional release of Adeyemi’s father and any other person who may have been unlawfully detained in connection with this matter, unless there exists credible evidence linking them personally to the commission of a recognisable criminal offence,”.
They urged the police chief to resist any attempt to use the force for intimidation, stating, “We equally urge the Inspector-General of Police to resist every temptation to allow the Nigeria Police Force to become a manipulative instrument in matters capable of undermining public confidence in the institution. The office of the Inspector-General carries enormous constitutional responsibility, and the nation expects its occupant to preserve the hard-earned reputation of the Force by demonstrating unwavering commitment to professionalism, impartiality, respect for human rights and strict adherence to the rule of law.”. The group emphasized that criminal liability remains strictly personal, stating, “Criminal liability is personal; no citizen may be punished, intimidated or detained for the alleged conduct of another. Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, expressly provides that a person shall not be arrested in place of a suspect. This provision leaves no room for ambiguity.”. They concluded, “Law enforcement must never descend into intimidation, coercion or collective punishment. No one should lose his liberty because of another person’s alleged offence. The law is clear, and it must be obeyed by all, especially those entrusted with enforcing it,”.
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