By Ado Oyeyemi
The father of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, has defended his son, describing him as a peaceful and well-behaved individual while expressing sadness over the allegations levelled against him.
The elderly man, Adetunji Adeniyi, spoke after security operatives visited his residence in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, and took him in for questioning during efforts to locate his son.
In an interview with BBC Yoruba on Wednesday, Adetunji said he was shocked by the accusations against Adeyemi, insisting that his son was not the type of person capable of engaging in criminal activities.
According to him, security operatives gained access to his compound by climbing over the fence, damaging the barbed wire before knocking on the door and identifying themselves as government security personnel.
He alleged that the officers searched every part of the house in an attempt to locate his son but were unsuccessful.
He added that they later returned to conduct another search before leaving the premises.
The elderly man said the operatives did not disclose the specific offence his son was alleged to have committed, informing him only that the government was searching for him.
He explained that when questioned about his son’s workplace, he could only tell the officers that Adeyemi had informed the family that he worked for the government in Abuja, adding that he had never visited his son’s office.
Adetunji recalled that Adeyemi had recently visited the family before returning to Abuja.
He said the officers questioned why he did not know his son’s whereabouts, to which he responded that he could not prevent him from returning to work. He added that he was subsequently taken away for questioning before being released.
Expressing concern over the situation, the elderly man said the rumours surrounding the case had caused him emotional distress, particularly because of his health condition.
He maintained that his son is a gentle and responsible person and said he remained surprised by the allegations.
The development comes amid criticism of the police action by human rights lawyer Femi Falana, who is representing Adeyemi.
Falana argued that taking the elderly man to a police station could not be justified under the Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the Nigeria Police Act.
Speaking during an interview with Arise News on Tuesday, the senior lawyer disclosed that police later informed him the elder Adeniyi had not been formally arrested but was invited to assist investigators and was released after making a statement.
He, however, maintained that investigators could have obtained the statement at the man’s residence instead of taking him to a police facility.
Police operatives had earlier visited the Adeyemi family home after failing to locate the suspect and questioned his father regarding his whereabouts.
A neighbour also alleged that officers copied contacts from the elderly man’s mobile phone before releasing him.
Adeyemi is currently facing an eight-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation and operating a fictitious government agency.
The controversy followed his claim that he served as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an organisation the Presidency has repeatedly stated does not exist.
He also claimed during a television interview that he paid ₦400 million to secure the appointment, an allegation that has been strongly denied by the Presidency.
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On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the activities of the purported council, describing it as a non-existent agency with no legal backing and ordering the anti-graft agency to submit its findings within 30 days.
