The Nigeria Police Force has explained why it failed to produce Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the body’s activities.
Police said Adeyemi could not be brought before the lawmakers because he is currently being held under a valid order of the Federal High Court, making it impossible to comply with the committee’s directive without another court order.
The explanation was presented on Wednesday on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, during the committee’s resumed investigative hearing in Abuja.
The committee, chaired by the lawmaker representing Kanke/Kanam/Pankshin Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi, had on Monday directed the IGP to produce Adeyemi to answer questions arising from testimonies presented by several government institutions.
The directive followed submissions from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies, all of which disowned the purported Council.
Representing the IGP at Wednesday’s hearing were the Deputy Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, Deputy Commissioner of Police Olufemi Akinola, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi.
Addressing the committee, Akinola said Adeyemi could not be produced because he remains in custody under a subsisting Federal High Court order. He explained that the police would require a production warrant or any other appropriate order from a court of competent jurisdiction before complying with the lawmakers’ request.
“We are here to convey the confidence of the Inspector-General of Police.
“The Nigeria Police Force may not be able to produce the suspect as requested in view of the subsisting warrant. The Nigeria Police Force recognises the constitutional oversight powers of the National Assembly and remains committed to cooperating with the committee in the discharge of its mandate.
“However, in this case, it will be appreciated if a production warrant could be obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction to enable the police to comply with this request,” Akinola said.
Responding, Gagdi accepted the police explanation and assured officers that the committee would immediately begin the legal process of obtaining the required court order. He also pledged that the committee would formally notify the Office of the Inspector-General of Police once the order is secured.
The House of Representatives set up the ad hoc committee to investigate the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council following allegations that it operated without legal backing while presenting itself as a Federal Government agency.
At previous hearings, key government institutions, including the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Budget Office of the Federation, told lawmakers they neither recognised the Council nor had any official dealings with it after discovering it was fake.
The committee’s investigation is expected to establish how the body was created and operated, identify those responsible and recommend appropriate legislative and legal actions.