The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has revealed the reasons the Nigeria Police Force was unable to present Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, the self-proclaimed Director-General of the purported fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, to the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee looking into the operations of the contentious organization on Wednesday.
The committee, led by the lawmaker for Kanke/Kanam/Pankshin Federal Constituency in Plateau State, Yusuf Gagdi, instructed the IGP on Monday to bring Adeyemi forth to respond to inquiries stemming from testimonies given by various government agencies.
The directive came after inputs 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 disassociated themselves from the alleged council.
During the resumed investigative hearing on Wednesday, the IGP was represented by the deputy director at the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, Deputy Commissioner of Police Olufemi Akinola, who was present with Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi.
In his address to the committee, Akinola clarified that Adeyemi was unavailable as he was detained under a legitimate order from the Federal High Court.
He stated that the police would need a production warrant or another suitable order from the court before fulfilling the committee’s 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 recognizes 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.
In reply, the committee chairman, Yusuf Gagdi, acknowledged the explanation and assured the police that the committee would pursue the necessary legal actions to secure the required court order.
He also committed that the committee would reach out to the Office of the Inspector-General of Police once the order is obtained.
The House of Representatives formed the ad hoc committee to look into the actions of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council amid claims that it functioned without legal authority while portraying itself as a federal government entity.
In previous sessions, major government bodies such as 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 notified the committee that they did not acknowledge the council nor had any formal interactions with it upon realizing it was fraudulent.
The committee’s continuous inquiry aims to determine the conditions that led to the formation and functioning of the organization, pinpoint those accountable, and suggest suitable legislative and legal measures.
