PFIPC Probe: Police mum as reported arrest of Adeyemi’s father raises constitutional questions

The Nigeria Police Force has remained silent over the reported arrest of the father of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the embattled promoter of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), as human rights groups questioned the constitutionality of the move.

They warned that Nigerian law prohibits the arrest of relatives in place of criminal suspects unless they are independently implicated in an offence.

BusinessDay could not independently verify the reported arrest, as repeated efforts to obtain confirmation from Anietie Iniedu Police Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, proved unsuccessful.

Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the PFIPC, is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation in connection with the alleged N1.3 billion “ghost agency” scandal.

According to reports, police operatives on Monday stormed the residence of Adeyemi’s parents in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, and allegedly arrested his father alongside a family friend who had visited the home.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), condemned the reported action, describing it as unlawful.

“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 in the area also claimed officers arrived in multiple vehicles before taking the elderly man away, leaving Adeyemi’s mother reportedly in shock.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the reported arrest of the father of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, describing the action as unconstitutional, unlawful…