LAGOS JULY 6TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council deepened on Monday as police operatives stormed the Ogbomoso residence of the family of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, the central figure in the ongoing forgery investigation linked to the purported council.
Our correspondent learnt that Adeyemi’s father, alongside a family friend who visited the family on Monday morning, was arrested by the police, leaving Adeniyi’s aged mother in shock.
The development was confirmed in a telephone conversation with our correspondent by Femi Falana (SAN) and a couple of eyewitnesses.
“Police have now stormed the house of the parents of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind Technical College, Road Safety Area, Ogbomoso.
“The father has been arrested. There is no legal basis for substituted arrests. The young man has promised to show up in court, so why arrest his father?”, Falana said.
An anonymous resident of the neighbourhood also told PUNCH Online that police officers arrived at the premises in four vehicles before allegedly taking Adeniyi’s father away.
The source, who is a neighbour of the elderly Adeniyi, said, “They came with four vehicles, and they started harassing them and eventually took the father away. They didn’t allow the neighbours to intervene before they took him away. At the moment, there is a man in blue clothes patrolling the area.”
Another neighbour, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development.
“Baba was taken away with someone who came to visit them this morning. They left the mother, who is currently in shock, but we have moved her away,” the eyewitness said in Yoruba (English translation published).
PUNCH Online could not independently verify the claims as of the time of filing this report, while the police had yet to issue an official statement on the alleged operation.
The latest development comes as the PFIPC scandal continues to generate national attention following allegations that the council was never legally constituted despite claims that it operated under the Presidency.
The controversy has resulted in criminal charges over alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences involving Adeniyi. The matter has come up in court on multiple occasions, with the prosecution filing charges while police investigations continue.
Falana has consistently maintained that the allegations surrounding the PFIPC should be resolved through due process. He recently argued that the Presidency lacks the constitutional authority to clear anyone accused of wrongdoing, insisting that only the courts are empowered to determine criminal liability.
The senior advocate has also warned against actions capable of creating the impression of intimidation or interference while the criminal proceedings remain before the court.
Punch
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