Police questioning of Adeyemi's father legally unjustified, says lawyer Falana

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has strongly criticized the Nigeria Police Force for its actions regarding the father of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). Falana stated that taking the elderly man to a police station was unjustified under the Nigerian Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, and the Nigeria Police Act.

Falana, who represents Adeyemi, expressed his concerns during an interview on Arise News. He argued that the police's conduct lacked legal basis, especially considering the man's age. The lawyer emphasized that such actions should not be repeated.

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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

However, Falana later received clarification from police authorities in Abuja. He was informed that Adeyemi's father had not been arrested but was merely invited to assist investigators. According to the police, the elderly man was taken to a specific location relevant to the investigation, where he provided a statement before being allowed to return home with another family member. Falana noted that the statement was not taken under caution.

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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

Despite this clarification, Falana maintained his position that the police should have collected the statement at the man's residence. "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," he asserted.

The comments arose amid reports that police officers had visited the Adeyemi family residence while searching for Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi himself. Prince Adeyemi is currently facing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges including conspiracy, forgery, and impersonation related to the alleged PFIPC scandal.

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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