The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has explained why Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, the alleged self-acclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), could not be produced before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee.
The explanation was presented to the committee through an official letter from the police, following Adeniyi’s failure to appear before lawmakers as earlier directed.
The letter was read during the committee’s sitting on Wednesday by its Chairman, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, who said the police informed lawmakers that Adeniyi remains in custody as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
According to the police, the suspect is being investigated over allegations of conspiracy and forgery and is currently being held based on a valid court order.
Addressing members of the committee, Gagdi said the lawmakers decided to make the contents of the letter public to prevent any false impression that Adeniyi deliberately ignored the summons issued by the National Assembly.
He said the committee was fully aware of the constitutional principle of separation of powers and would not interfere with an active criminal investigation.
“We have a standing rule. We are mindful of it,” Gagdi said.
“The first leg of the investigation is conspiracy and forgery, which is what has taken the man into custody. We are a respecter of the principle of the separation of powers.”
The lawmaker noted that the committee considered it necessary to clarify the situation for the public and the media.
“I decided to read the letter so that members of the press would not say the man failed to show up. We have proceedings and procedures,” he said.
Providing further details from the correspondence sent by the police, Gagdi explained that the Inspector-General stated that Adeniyi could not be released or brought before the committee because his detention was backed by a subsisting court order.
“The IG said the man is in custody because of a standing court order. He stated that the court remanded him, and that is why he is in custody. So, for him to be here, the court order has to be vacated before he can be brought to the National Assembly,” Gagdi said.
The committee chairman stressed that lawmakers would not take any action capable of disrupting the work being carried out by law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies.
He commended the efforts of security institutions currently handling the matter and assured that the House panel would continue to cooperate with them.
“We cannot tamper with the ongoing investigation. We respect the good jobs the Inspector-General of Police, the Police, DSS, ICPC, EFCC and the National Security Adviser are doing, and we would not undermine the whole process,” he stated.
Gagdi disclosed that the committee would maintain communication with the police and other agencies involved in the investigation to obtain updates and additional information where necessary.
“We will keep writing to you so that we have further reports and clarify grey areas. By next week, we can lay our report on the resumption of this case,” he added.
The House committee is currently probing the circumstances surrounding the operations of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, which has become the subject of growing scrutiny in recent weeks.
At the centre of the investigation are claims that the organisation operated as a government agency despite questions over its legal status.
The Reps lawmakers are seeking answers on how the body reportedly secured office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat and was listed for a budgetary allocation of ₦1.32 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The committee is also examining documents and approvals linked to the council’s activities as part of efforts to determine whether due process was followed.
Adeniyi, who is alleged to have presented himself as the Director-General of the council, remains under investigation by the police over claims of conspiracy, forgery and alleged misrepresentation.
