Police Arrest Father of Disowned PFIPC DG, Falana Condemns Alleged ‘Substituted Arrest

The father of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who has been linked to the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), has reportedly been arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Police Force in what human rights lawyer Femi Falana described as an unlawful “substituted arrest.”

According to reports, police officers stormed the Adeyemi family residence in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Monday and arrested Adeyemi’s father alongside a family friend who was visiting at the time. The incident reportedly left the elderly matriarch of the family in shock.

Adeyemi, who has presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC, heads an organisation that was previously disowned by the Federal Government, which clarified that the body is not an official government agency.

Confirming the arrest, Falana criticised the action, insisting that Nigerian law does not recognise the arrest of relatives in place of a suspect.

“The father has been arrested. There is no legal basis for substituted arrests. The young man has promised to appear in court, so why arrest his father?” the senior lawyer said.

Falana maintained that arresting a family member in place of a suspect violates constitutional safeguards protecting the liberty of citizens and due process.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the arrest or the legal basis for detaining Adeyemi’s father.

The development has sparked concerns among legal observers over the alleged use of “substituted arrest” a practice repeatedly condemned by Nigerian courts and human rights advocates as unconstitutional.

Prince Adeyemi has reportedly indicated his willingness to honour any lawful court proceedings, a position his lawyer said makes the arrest of his father unnecessary and legally indefensible.