‎Police arrest Adeyemi’s father as fake agency scandal deepens ‎

‎OGBOMOSO, OYO STATE — The Nigeria Police Force has arrested the father of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, the man at the centre of the alleged N1.3 billion fake agency scandal that has placed the Presidency under increasing scrutiny.
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‎The arrest, which took place on Monday at the family residence in Ogbomoso, has triggered legal and human rights concerns over the propriety of detaining relatives of suspects.
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‎Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, confirmed the arrest, alleging that police operatives stormed the residence and took Adeyemi’s father into custody. According to Falana, there is no legal basis for arresting a relative when the suspect has indicated a willingness to appear before the court.
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‎The development comes amid an ongoing investigation into Adeyemi, who is facing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges including conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
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‎ Prosecutors allege that he presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, entities the Federal Government has described as fictitious.
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‎The case has generated fresh controversy after revelations that the disputed council appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite earlier denials by government officials regarding its legitimacy.
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‎The disclosure has intensified questions about how the organisation allegedly operated within government circles and secured official recognition.
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‎According to findings by investigators, Adeyemi allegedly used forged government documents to obtain official privileges, including the opening of accounts and access to government facilities. Authorities maintain that the agencies he claimed to represent were never lawfully established by the Federal Government.
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‎The arrest of Adeyemi’s father has now opened a new chapter in the controversy. Legal experts, including the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, have cautioned that Nigerian law does not permit the arrest of family members solely to compel a suspect to surrender, unless those relatives are themselves subjects of an investigation.
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‎As the trial continues, the scandal is expected to remain under public scrutiny, with growing calls for a full accounting of how the alleged fake agency operated and whether any public officials facilitated its activities.