Human rights lawyer Femi Falana tells the Tinubu administration that police action in the PFIPC investigation violates Nigeria’s constitutional and statutory protections. Sources report that Falana reacts to the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi’s father, who had allegedly been taken by police after authorities could not locate Adeyemi. Falana argues that detaining or holding a family member in place of a suspect cannot be justified under the Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, and the Nigeria Police Act. He also says the police process raises legal concerns because the man is brought to a station, asked to make a statement without a caution, and treated as if formally arrested.
According to one report, Falana clarifies that police later told him the elderly man was not formally arrested but invited to assist with investigations. The reports add that the father was released, along with another family member, after the questioning process. Falana maintains that if police want a person to assist investigations, they should record information at the person’s home rather than subject them to the stress and implications of custody. Police conduct is criticised by residents who reported multiple vehicles arriving at the Abuja residence and copying contacts from the man’s phone before his release.
