The controversy over the alleged ₦1.3 billion Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scandal deepened on Monday following the reported arrest of the father of the council’s embattled promoter, Adeniyi Adeyemi.
Naijaonpoint reports that Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the council, is standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
The Federal Government has listed the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and 10 others as prosecution witnesses in the case.
Punch learnt that Adeyemi’s father and a family friend, who visited him on Monday morning, were arrested by policemen amid ongoing investigations into the alleged “ghost agency” linked to the Presidency.
Senior lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), confirmed the arrest in a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Monday, describing it as unlawful.
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.
“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?”
A neighbour of the Adeyemis also told Punch that the police arrived at the premises in four vehicles before allegedly taking the suspect’s father away.
The source said, “They came with four vehicles, and they started harassing them and eventually took the father away. They didn’t allow the neighbours to intervene before they took him away. At the moment, there is a man in blue clothes patrolling the area.”
Another neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the development.
“Baba was taken away to Agbomire Police Station with someone who came to visit them this morning. They left the mother, who is currently in shock, but we have moved her away,” the eyewitness said in Yoruba.
