N1.3bn 'Ghost Agency' Row: Adeyemi's Father Arrested, Presidency Faces Fresh Scrutiny

The ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council fraud intensified this Monday, following reports that the Nigeria Police Force detained the father of the council's central figure, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi. This arrest occurred as probes continue into the purported "ghost agency" said to have ties to the Presidency. Adeyemi, who identifies as the Director-General of the council, is currently facing legal proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on accusations of conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation. The Federal Government has named Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, along with ten other individuals, as witnesses for the prosecution in this matter.

Sources indicate that Adeyemi’s father was taken into custody by police officers on Monday morning, along with a family friend who was visiting him. This development reportedly left Adeniyi’s elderly mother in a state of shock. Prominent legal practitioner Femi Falana (SAN) and several eyewitnesses verified the arrest during a phone conversation with The PUNCH on Monday.

Falana recounted, stating, "Police operatives raided the residence of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi's parents, situated at Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind Technical College, Road Safety Area, Ogbomoso." He further questioned the legality, asserting, "The father has been apprehended. There is no lawful justification for proxy arrests. The young man has committed to appearing in court, so what is the rationale behind arresting his father?"

An Adeyemi family neighbour informed The PUNCH that police personnel arrived at the property in four vehicles before reportedly taking the father away. The source detailed, "They arrived in four vehicles, began to harass them, and eventually drove off with the father. They prevented neighbours from intervening before his removal. Presently, a man in blue attire is seen patrolling the vicinity."

Confirming the incident, another anonymous neighbour stated in Yoruba, "Baba was transported to Agbomire police station along with a visitor from this morning. They left the mother, who is presently traumatized, but we have since relocated her."

The apprehension of Adeyemi’s father has ignited renewed concerns regarding legal rights and human rights. Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), alongside other Senior Advocates of Nigeria, cautioned that Nigerian legislation prohibits the detention of relatives solely to coerce a suspect into surrendering or aiding an investigation. Nevertheless, these legal experts clarified that such an arrest would be permissible if Adeyemi’s father was himself implicated as a suspect or a person of interest in the ongoing inquiry.

These reactions emerged subsequent to reports confirming that NPF operatives arrested Adeyemi’s father at his Ogbomoso, Oyo State residence, specifically Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind Technical College, Road Safety Area, on Monday. This action is connected to the probe into the alleged N1.3 billion "ghost agency" scandal, which also involves the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. The situation has intensified scrutiny on the Presidency, particularly after it was revealed that the council, previously disavowed by the Federal Government, was listed in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

NBA President Osigwe strongly condemned the reported detention of Adeyemi’s father, reiterating that Nigerian legal frameworks do not sanction the arrest of family members simply to compel a suspect's surrender or cooperation with an inquiry. Other prominent lawyers similarly affirmed that police action would be lawful only if the suspect's father were genuinely implicated in the alleged crime or identified as a person of interest in the investigation. These statements came after news broke that the Nigeria Police Force had apprehended Adeyemi’s father in Ibadan on Monday, amidst the ongoing N1.3 billion "ghost agency" investigation.

Speaking in a Monday phone interview, Osigwe advised against premature judgments, emphasizing the lack of clarity regarding the arrest's specifics. "I'm cautious about making definitive statements because I am unaware of the exact reason for his father's arrest," Osigwe stated, further clarifying that the law does not permit the arrest of an individual as a substitute for another. He explained, "If someone is arrested merely to pressure a missing suspect, or to compel an investigated person to give themselves up, then such an action is illegal."

However, Osigwe clarified that the situation would differ if the father’s arrest was based on his individual involvement. "But if the individual is being arrested in their own capacity as a suspect or a person of interest in any ongoing investigation, then the law would indeed allow for that," he noted. He urged the public to seek official clarification from the police rather than engaging in speculation about the arrest's motive. "We are not privy to the reason for the arrest. People might simply assume that his father was arrested because the son is implicated in a criminal case. We ought to seek answers from the police; it's not overly complicated."

In a similar vein, Professor Sam Erugo, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, declared that detaining a father for an alleged crime committed by his son is illegal under Nigerian statutes. "It is against the law to arrest a father for an offense purportedly committed by his son," Erugo asserted. He referenced Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which explicitly forbids arrests by proxy or in lieu. Nevertheless, Erugo urged the police to provide a clear explanation of the circumstances leading to the arrest, stating, "The Nigerian populace is entitled to more details from the authorities responsible for the arrest."

Isiaka Olagunju, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, reiterated that criminal culpability is individual and cannot be extended to family members. "It is illegal to apprehend a suspect's father or other relatives in a criminal matter," Olagunju stated. He did, however, point out that law enforcement could lawfully arrest a relative if there was evidence connecting that individual to the alleged crime. "Unless the father himself is implicated in the case, only then can the police make an arrest," he clarified.

Likewise, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Wolemi Esan characterized the concept of "arrest in lieu" as alien to Nigeria's legal framework. He highlighted that this practice is explicitly forbidden by Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and Section 20 of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020. Both statutes prohibit the arrest or detention of any individual as a substitute for a suspect. "The practice of 'arrest in lieu' holds no legal standing in Nigeria," Esan affirmed. "The Supreme Court has repeatedly condemned this practice as unconstitutional and a blatant infringement on the fundamental rights of those subjected to unlawful arrest." He further referenced Section 35(6) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which ensures compensation for victims of illegal arrests or detentions. "Any law enforcement body engaging in arrest in lieu operates in direct contravention of both statutory and constitutional protections," he concluded.

Dr. Wahab Shittu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, affirmed that the Nigeria Police Force lacks the legal authority to arrest a criminal suspect's father or any other relative solely to force the suspect's surrender or collaboration with investigators. He labeled this practice "substitutional arrest," explicitly outlawed by Nigerian law. Shittu made these remarks in a legal opinion issued on Monday, responding to the reported arrest of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew's father in relation to the alleged N1.3 billion "ghost agency" controversy. He clarified that the police's power to arrest is not absolute but is governed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. "The Nigerian Police Force's authority to arrest is neither boundless nor without conditions," he stated, stressing that law enforcement bodies must strictly adhere to constitutional and statutory boundaries. He elaborated that Section 35(1) of the Constitution safeguards the right to personal liberty, while Section 36(8) stipulates that criminal responsibility is individual and cannot be transferred. Shittu further referenced Section 7 of the ACJA, 2015, which unequivocally states that "a person shall not be arrested in place of a suspect."