Police Arrest Father of Alleged Fake Presidential Council DG; OAGF Denies PFIPC Had CBN Account

The father of the embattled self-acclaimed Director-General of the purported Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeyemi Adeniyi, has been arrested by police operatives in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, alongside a family friend.

The arrest comes amid ongoing investigations into allegations that Adeniyi forged presidential documents and operated a fictitious government agency to defraud the Federal Government.

The development also coincided with a clarification by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), which stated that the controversial council never operated a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account and did not receive any government funds, despite having a budgetary allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Falana Condemns Arrest

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), who confirmed the arrest on Thursday, described the action as unlawful, arguing that there was no legal justification for arresting relatives of a suspect.

According to him, police officers stormed the residence of Adeniyi’s parents at Plot 3, Adeniyi Dynasty, behind Technical College, Road Safety Area, Ogbomoso, and arrested his father along with a family friend who was visiting.

“There is no legal basis for substituted arrests. The young man has promised to appear in court, so why arrest his father?” Falana queried.

Residents in the neighbourhood also confirmed the incident, alleging that the officers arrived in four vehicles before taking the two men away.

One resident, who spoke anonymously, said the officers prevented neighbours from intervening, while another disclosed that Adeniyi’s mother was left in shock following the arrest.

Reacting to the development, the spokesperson of the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja.

He explained that the case is being handled at the national level and advised anyone seeking updates on the alleged arrest of Adeniyi’s relatives to contact the Force Public Relations Officer or the FCID Public Relations Office.

OAGF: PFIPC Never Operated a CBN Account

Meanwhile, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has dismissed claims that the PFIPC successfully opened and operated a CBN account.

The clarification followed earlier comments by the Presidency, which alleged that Adeniyi used forged documents to deceive the OAGF into opening an account with the apex bank.

Director of Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, explained that although an application to open the account was initiated after Adeniyi presented what appeared to be an appointment letter linked to an existing government agency, the process was never completed.

According to him, the required names of authorised signatories were never submitted, making it impossible for the account to become operational.

“The account was never activated and has not received any government funds. No money was released because there was no operational account,” Mokwa stated.

He further noted that although the council appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act, a budgetary allocation alone does not entitle any agency to receive funds.

Mokwa also dismissed reports that salaries had been paid to staff of the council, explaining that government agencies cannot recruit workers or process salaries without approvals from the Federal Character Commission, the Budget Office, and the Federal Civil Service Commission before employees are enrolled on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

He maintained that none of these statutory requirements had been met by the PFIPC.

According to him, officers deployed from the OAGF to the council would now serve as prosecution witnesses in the

The controversy surrounding the PFIPC began after the Presidency declared that no such agency exists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Adeyemi, who presented himself as the council’s Director-General, is currently facing charges of alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Presidency said the matter came to light in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised concerns that the purported council was performing functions similar to those of the commission.

Subsequent investigations reportedly uncovered forged appointment letters and official documents allegedly linked to the Presidency.

Despite this, the 2026 Appropriation Act listed the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council under the Presidency with a budgetary allocation of N1.302 billion, comprising N802.98 million for personnel, N200 million for overhead, and N300 million for capital projects.

The inclusion has sparked widespread debate, with opposition figures, legal experts and civil society organisations questioning how an agency described by the Presidency as fictitious could receive a budgetary allocation.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi have both called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the council’s inclusion in the 2026 federal budget.