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IBADAN — Police have arrested the father of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the embattled Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), along with a family friend, in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, amid ongoing investigations into the alleged creation of a fictitious presidential council.
The arrest came as the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) clarified that no Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account was successfully opened for the controversial council and that no public funds were released to it despite its budgetary allocation, contradicting earlier claims that an account had been opened.
Prince Adeyemi has been at the centre of a controversy following allegations that he forged official documents to create and operate the PFIPC, which the Presidency has described as a non-existent government agency.
No legal basis for substitute arrests — Falana
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), disclosed the arrests during a telephone interview with journalists on Monday, alleging that police operatives stormed the family’s residence in Ogbomoso and took away Adeyemi’s father and a family friend who was visiting the home.
According to Falana, the officers arrived at the residence located at Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind the Technical College, Road Safety Area, Ogbomoso.
“The father has been arrested. There is no legal basis for substitute arrests. The young man has promised to appear in court, so why arrest his father?” Falana queried.
Residents in the neighbourhood also confirmed the incident.
One resident, who requested anonymity, said the officers arrived in four vehicles before taking Adeyemi’s father into custody.
“They came in four vehicles, started harassing members of the family and eventually took the father away. They didn’t allow neighbours to intervene before leaving. At the moment, there is a man in blue clothes patrolling the area,” the resident said.
Another resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said Adeyemi’s father was arrested alongside a visitor, while his mother was left traumatised by the incident.
“Baba was taken away with someone who came to visit them this morning. They left the mother behind. She was in shock, but we have moved her to a safer place,” the resident said.
The development comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the PFIPC, which the Presidency has consistently maintained is a fictitious entity.
Adeyemi is currently facing charges bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences before the Federal High Court in Abuja over his purported appointment as Director-General of the council.
Falana has repeatedly argued that allegations against Adeyemi should be resolved strictly through due process, insisting that only the courts have the constitutional authority to determine criminal liability.
Oyo Police refer enquiries to Force Headquarters
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the matter was being handled by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Force Headquarters, Abuja.
“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. Anyone seeking updates regarding the alleged arrest of his parents in Ogbomoso or any other developments in the case is advised to contact the Force Public Relations Officer at Force Headquarters or the FCID Public Relations Officer for official information,” he said.
PFIPC never operated a CBN account — OAGF
Meanwhile, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has refuted claims that the disputed PFIPC successfully opened and operated a Central Bank of Nigeria account.
The clarification followed an earlier statement by the Presidency, in which presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said police investigators found that Adeyemi had fraudulently opened a CBN account after allegedly misleading officials of the Accountant-General’s Office with forged documents.
According to Onanuga, although an account was opened, no government funds were transferred into it.
However, the OAGF said the account-opening process was never completed, making it impossible for the council to receive any government allocation.
Director of Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, explained that while an application to open the account was initiated after Adeyemi presented what he described as an appointment letter linked to an existing government agency, the process was never concluded.
He stressed that since the account was not fully activated, no public funds were released or paid into it.