Police arrest PFIPC D-G’s dad, family friend in Ogbomoso
The escalating scandal surrounding the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) took a contentious turn on Monday morning when police operatives raided the Ogbomoso residence of the agency’s self-acclaimed Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, arresting his elderly father and a family friend.
The raid, which occurred at Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind the Technical College in the Road Safety Area of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights lawyers who describe the operation as an illegal case of "substituted arrest."
According to eyewitnesses and neighbors, police operatives arrived at the family home in four vehicles. Operatives reportedly entered the premises, causing a commotion that left Adeyemi’s aged mother in severe shock.
"They came with four vehicles, and they started harassing them and eventually took the father away," a neighbor stated, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They didn't allow the neighbors to intervene... Baba was taken away alongside someone who came to visit them this morning. They left the mother, who was completely destabilized, so we have moved her away for her safety."
Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, confirmed the arrests, strongly criticizing the police's tactics. Falana emphasized that Nigerian law explicitly forbids arresting relatives in place of a suspect.
“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?”
Femi Falana, SAN
Falana previously argued that the executive arm lacks the authority to arbitrarily clear or condemn individuals in criminal matters, maintaining that only the courts can determine liability without resorting to intimidation.
The arrests are the latest fallout in a high-profile criminal investigation tracking Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi. The Federal Government and the Presidency have repeatedly disowned the PFIPC, labeling it a completely fake entity.
The core parameters of the ongoing legal battle include:
The Nigeria Police Force has filed an eight-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices. The charges include criminal forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretense.
The Allegations:** Investigators state that Adeyemi used a forged appointment letter, purportedly from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to set up the council. He is also accused of misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to open a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account under the council's name and fraudulently seeking diplomatic visa support.
Counter-Claims:** Adeyemi has maintained his innocence, claiming his appointment was legitimate. He recently escalated the dispute by publicly accusing Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila of financial impropriety regarding the council's establishment—allegations that a coalition of over 300 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) dismissed as "baseless mudslinging."
With Prince Adeyemi already scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026, the arrest of his father has intensified scrutiny on the Nigeria Police Force’s adherence to due process during active judicial proceedings. Police headquarters have yet to release an official statement regarding the Ogbomoso operation.
