Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights lawyer Femi Falana has challenged the police’s handling of the investigation involving the father of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the embattled Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
Falana, who represents Adeyemi, spoke during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, saying the decision to take the elderly man to a police station was unnecessary and inconsistent with legal procedures.
According to him, police authorities later explained that Adeyemi’s father was not formally arrested but was invited to assist with ongoing investigations.
“The reported arrest of Mr Adeyemi’s father cannot be justified under the Constitution, under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, and under the Nigeria Police Act,” Falana said.
The senior lawyer said officers subsequently reached out to clarify what transpired.
“I got a call from the police officers in Abuja this evening, where I was informed that the old man wasn’t really arrested. The police merely invited him to take them to a particular place as part of their investigation, and that he was asked to make a statement,” he said.
Falana noted that the statement was obtained without placing the elderly man under caution and that he was later released together with another relative.
“He made a statement, not under caution, and after his statement was taken, and the family member who was arrested along with him, he was allowed to go home,” he said.
Even with the police explanation, Falana insisted that investigators could have questioned Adeyemi’s father in his home rather than taking him to a police facility.
“Whichever way it is, if the police officers involved had wanted the father of Mr. Adeyemi to assist them in their investigation, they should have taken his statement in his house and not in a police station. I do hope that this will not repeat itself,” Falana said.
Earlier reports said security operatives visited the Adeyemi family residence in search of Adeniyi Adeyemi and took his father away after failing to find him. He was released a few hours later.
A resident of the area, who requested anonymity, alleged that the elderly man was questioned about his son’s whereabouts before regaining his freedom.
“Baba has been released. He was questioned about his son’s whereabouts, and the police also copied the contacts on his phone. We don’t know what they intend to use them for,” the neighbour said.
Residents also claimed the officers prevented neighbours from intervening during the operation and stayed around the community for some time before leaving.
