The father of embattled Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) promoter, Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, and a family friend have been arrested by security operatives in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, as investigations into the controversial agency continue.
The arrests come amid the ongoing prosecution of Adeyemi, who is facing charges of alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences over claims that he fraudulently presented himself as the Director-General of the purported PFIPC, an agency the Presidency insists does not exist.
The development also coincided with a clarification by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) that the controversial council never operated a functional account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and did not receive any government funds despite appearing in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Falana Condemns Arrest of Suspect’s Father
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) disclosed the arrest while speaking with journalists, describing the action as unlawful.
According to him, police officers stormed the family residence located at Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind Technical College in the Road Safety area of Ogbomoso, where they arrested Adeyemi’s father alongside a family friend who was visiting.
Falana questioned the legal basis for arresting relatives of a suspect, stressing that criminal responsibility is personal.
He argued that Adeyemi had already undertaken to present himself before the court and wondered why law enforcement officers resorted to arresting his father instead.
“There is no legal basis for substituted arrests,” Falana said, insisting that only the suspect should be held accountable for the allegations against him.
Residents Confirm Police Operation
Residents in the neighbourhood also confirmed that security operatives carried out the arrest.
One resident, who requested anonymity, said the officers arrived in four vehicles before taking Adeyemi’s father into custody.
According to the witness, neighbours were prevented from intervening while officers searched the premises and removed the elderly man.
Another resident disclosed that a family friend who had visited the residence was equally arrested, while Adeyemi’s mother was left traumatised by the incident.
The resident said neighbours later moved her to another location after she reportedly went into shock.
Oyo Police Refer Enquiries to Force Headquarters
Reacting to reports of the arrests, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the investigation is being handled by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.
He explained that the matter falls outside the jurisdiction of the state command and advised journalists to direct enquiries to the Force Public Relations Officer or the FCID liaison office for official updates.
OAGF Says PFIPC Never Operated CBN Account
Meanwhile, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has rejected claims that the PFIPC successfully opened and operated a Central Bank account.
The clarification followed earlier remarks by Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who had stated that investigators discovered Adeyemi used allegedly forged documents to mislead government officials into opening a CBN account for the council.
Onanuga had maintained that although the account was allegedly created, no public funds were transferred into it.
However, the OAGF offered further clarification, stating that while an application to open an account was initiated after Adeyemi presented an appointment letter linked to an existing government agency, the process was never completed.
Account Never Became Operational
The Director of Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, explained that the application failed because the required names of authorised signatories were never submitted.
As a result, he said, the account never became operational.
According to Mokwa, no money could have been paid into the account because it was never activated.
He stressed that the Accountant-General did not release any government funds to the council since there was no valid account through which payments could be processed.
Budget Allocation Does Not Mean Funds Were Released
Mokwa further explained that the appearance of the PFIPC in the 2026 federal budget did not automatically translate into the release of funds.
He noted that government agencies only receive allocations after satisfying all statutory requirements.
The OAGF spokesman also dismissed reports that salaries were paid to workers of the council.
He explained that federal agencies must first obtain approvals from the Federal Character Commission, the Budget Office, and the Federal Civil Service Commission before employees can be enrolled on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
According to him, the PFIPC fulfilled none of these conditions.
He added that no staff members recruited by Adeyemi were placed on the federal payroll and that officials earlier deployed from the OAGF would now serve as prosecution witnesses in the ongoing criminal case.
Controversy Over N1.3 Billion Budget Allocation
The controversy surrounding the PFIPC intensified after the 2026 Appropriation Act listed the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council under the Presidency with a total budgetary allocation of ₦1.302 billion.
The allocation comprised approximately ₦802.98 million for personnel, ₦200 million for overhead costs, and ₦300 million for capital projects.
The budgetary provision sparked widespread criticism because the Presidency had earlier declared that no such agency existed under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The Presidency has consistently maintained that Adeyemi forged official documents and falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the council.
According to government officials, the matter first came to light in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) reported that the purported council was performing functions already assigned to the commission.
Following the complaint, the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned security agencies, alleging that appointment letters and other official presidential documents had been forged.
Investigators subsequently carried out searches and reportedly recovered documents believed to be connected with the alleged fraud.
Opposition Demands Independent Investigation
Despite the Presidency’s position, the discovery of the council’s budgetary allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act has fuelled public debate over possible lapses in Nigeria’s budgeting process.
Opposition leaders, legal experts and civil society organisations have questioned how a body described as fictitious could receive a multi-billion naira allocation in the national budget.
Among those demanding an independent investigation are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who have called for a comprehensive probe into the circumstances surrounding the inclusion of the council in the federal budget and the processes that led to the controversy.
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