The N1.3 billion scandal involving the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council has escalated as Nigerian police arrested Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi’s father amid investigations into the alleged “ghost agency” linked to the Presidency. Prince Adeyemi, who claims the role of Director-General of the council, is currently on trial at the Federal High Court for conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation, with Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, named as a prosecution witness.

The arrest of Adeyemi’s father has raised legal and human rights concerns. Senior lawyers, including Nigerian Bar Association President Mazi Afam Osigwe, emphasized that the law restricts police from arresting relatives merely to compel a suspect’s cooperation or presence. Arrests are lawful only if the relative is a suspect or person of interest in the case.

Witness accounts detail how police, arriving with four vehicles, apprehended Adeyemi’s father at their home in Ogbomoso, leaving Adeyemi’s elderly mother distressed. Observers condemned the police’s actions, stating that law enforcement should not conduct “arrest in lieu,” a practice deemed unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental rights under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and the Nigerian Constitution.

Multiple Senior Advocates of Nigeria stressed that personal criminal responsibility cannot be transferred to relatives, arguing that arrests must be based on clear evidence showing a family member’s involvement. They called for clarification from the police regarding the rationale behind the arrest, underscoring the legal principles that safeguard individuals from arbitrary detainment, thereby reiterating that the judicial system must be upheld even amid allegations of misconduct involving politically connected individuals like those associated with the Nigerian Presidency.