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The house hearing stalled after police failed to produce the detained alleged PFIPC Director-General, Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, before lawmakers.
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IGP tells Reps panel the suspect remains in custody under a subsisting court remand order over alleged conspiracy and forgery.
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Committee vows not to interfere with ongoing investigations by the Police, DSS, ICPC, EFCC, and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
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Lawmakers intensify scrutiny of how the purported council allegedly secured office space at the Federal Secretariat and received a ₦1.32 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act despite questions over its legal status.
July 29, (THEWILL) — The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) was forced to suspend the appearance of the council’s detained Director-General, Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, on Wednesday after the Nigeria Police Force failed to produce him.
The police cited a subsisting court remand order and ongoing investigations into allegations of conspiracy and forgery.
THEWILL recalls that the committee had on Monday, ordered the IGP to produce Adeyemi before the committee on Wednesday after lawmakers uncovered what they described as a trail of 29 suspected forged government documents.
According to the committee, hearing directly from the suspect had become essential as the investigation was no longer centred on one individual but on allegations that the identities and official documents of several federal institutions had been fraudulently exploited.
However, at the resumption of the hearing on Wednesday, lawmakers were instead presented with a letter from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, explaining why the suspect could not be brought before the committee despite an earlier directive ordering his appearance.
The letter, read by the Chairman of the House Ad-Hoc Committee, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), stated that Adeniyi remains in lawful custody in compliance with a valid court remand order and therefore could not be released to honour the committee’s summons.
According to Gagdi, the police informed the panel that the suspect is being investigated for alleged conspiracy, forgery and falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
Police Explain Failure to Produce Suspect
Reading from the IGP’s correspondence, Gagdi said the police were acting in compliance with the law and the orders of the court.
“We have a standing rule. We are mindful of it. 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,” he said.
The committee chairman explained that he deliberately read the police letter during the hearing to dispel any public impression that Adeniyi had ignored the lawmakers’ invitation.
“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 stated.
Gagdi further disclosed that the Inspector-General made it clear that the suspect’s continued detention was backed by a subsisting court order, making it legally impossible for the police to produce him before the National Assembly unless the remand order was first vacated.
“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,” he explained.
House Backs Ongoing Criminal Investigation
The committee chairman stressed that the House would not interfere with ongoing police investigations or judicial proceedings, saying lawmakers were committed to respecting the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
“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,” Gagdi said.
He disclosed that the committee would continue corresponding with the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant agencies to obtain additional reports and clarify unresolved issues before concluding its assignment.
“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 committee subsequently adjourned proceedings, with lawmakers expressing optimism that fresh submissions from the police and other security agencies would assist them in completing their investigation.
₦1.32bn Budget Allocation Raises Fresh Questions
The House of Representatives constituted the ad hoc committee following allegations that the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council operated as a federal government agency despite claims that it was never legally established by any law or executive instrument.
The controversy escalated after lawmakers discovered that the purported council allegedly secured office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and was also captured in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a ₦1.32 billion allocation, raising serious concerns about how an entity whose legal status remains in dispute gained access to government facilities and the national budget.
Adeniyi, who allegedly held himself out as the Director-General of the council, is under police investigation over allegations of conspiracy, forgery, and falsely presenting himself as the head of the purported agency.
Beyond the police investigation, the scandal has attracted the attention of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), all of which are examining different aspects of the alleged operations of the council.
The House committee has vowed to pursue the investigation to its logical conclusion and is expected to submit its report after receiving additional briefs from the police and other relevant agencies.
Its findings are expected to determine possible legislative recommendations and further criminal actions over what has become one of the most controversial public accountability cases involving a purported federal government agency in recent years.
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