Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has clarified his earlier statement regarding the alleged arrest of the father of Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, saying information now available to him indicates that the elderly man was only invited by the police to assist with an ongoing investigation.
Speaking during an interview, Falana explained that police authorities informed him the man was not formally arrested but was asked to accompany investigators to a location relevant to their inquiries before giving a statement. He added that both the elderly man and a family member who accompanied him were released after the process.
Despite the clarification, Falana maintained that law enforcement officers should not involve relatives of suspects in criminal investigations unless there is a lawful basis to do so. He argued that taking the elderly man to a police station was unnecessary, stating that investigators could have obtained the required information without subjecting him to that process.
The senior advocate reiterated that Nigerian laws, including the Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and the Nigeria Police Act, prohibit the arrest or detention of family members simply because they are related to a suspect.
Falana also disclosed that, based on information available to him, Adeyemi was arrested in October 2025 and remained in detention for about three weeks before charges were filed against him in November 2025. He noted that although the case has appeared before the court several times, the defendant has yet to be arraigned.
He welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s directive assigning the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), expressing confidence that the anti-corruption agency would conduct a comprehensive investigation.
Falana urged all individuals connected to the matter, including Adeyemi, to cooperate fully with the ICPC and called on the Nigeria Police Force to suspend any parallel investigation to avoid interfering with the presidential directive.
He further argued that investigators should go beyond allegations of document forgery to determine whether any public officials played a role in the establishment of the organisation or facilitated its inclusion in the national budget.
According to him, several critical questions remain unanswered, including how the organisation allegedly secured office space within the Federal Secretariat, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, deployed personnel and appeared in official government records.
Falana maintained that a thorough investigation is necessary to establish the full extent of the alleged activities and ensure that anyone found culpable is held accountable.
