Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has strongly condemned the arrest of the father of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man linked to the controversial Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council (PFIPC), describing the action as a blatant abuse of power and a dangerous violation of the rule of law.
The condemnation followed reports that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force arrested Adeyemi’s father during a raid on the family’s residence in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, while searching for his son over allegations surrounding the controversial PFIPC.
Reacting to the development in a statement posted on his X account on Monday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku’s camp described the arrest as an unlawful act that has no place in a democratic society.
Ibe argued that Nigerian law does not recognise substituted arrest, insisting that security agencies have no legal authority to arrest a suspect’s relatives simply because they are unable to locate the person under investigation.
He described the action as “absolute nonsense” and questioned why law enforcement agents chose to arrest Adeyemi’s father instead of pursuing the suspect through lawful means.
“What has the father of the man the Presidency claims to be a phantom Director-General got to do with the matter? It is an overreach and an abuse of power,” Ibe said.
He maintained that if the police had evidence against Adeyemi, they should arrest and prosecute him in accordance with the law rather than targeting innocent members of his family.
The former vice president’s aide warned that allowing such actions to go unchallenged could erode public confidence in law enforcement institutions and undermine the country’s democratic principles.
He therefore called for the immediate release of Adeyemi’s father and urged security agencies to respect citizens’ constitutional rights while carrying out their duties.
The arrest has also attracted criticism from senior human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), who faulted the police action, insisting that substituted arrest is unknown to Nigerian law.
Falana argued that every criminal investigation must be directed at the individual accused of wrongdoing and not members of the person’s family or associates.
He urged the police to immediately release the elderly man and ensure that investigations are conducted within the confines of the law.
The PFIPC controversy has dominated public discourse in recent days after the Presidency distanced itself from the organisation, declaring that no agency known as the Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council exists within the Federal Government.
The controversy erupted after Adeyemi allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the council and was seen at several public events alongside prominent political figures before questions emerged over the authenticity of the organisation and his claimed position.
The Federal Government subsequently denied recognising the council, while security agencies launched investigations into allegations of forgery, impersonation and related offences surrounding the activities of the purported agency.
