The Nigeria Police Force has told the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the activities of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) that it cannot produce the organisation’s self-acclaimed Director-General, Adeyemi Adeniyi, without authorisation from the court.
The position was made known on Wednesday, July 29, when the committee resumed its investigation into the alleged phantom agency.
Lawmakers, led by the committee chairman, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), had earlier directed the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to present Adeniyi before the panel by noon on Wednesday to answer questions relating to the ongoing probe.
However, instead of producing the suspect, police representatives informed the committee that Adeniyi remained in custody under a valid remand order issued by a competent court.
According to the officers, releasing him to appear before the lawmakers without the court’s approval would amount to violating an existing judicial directive.
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The police stressed that while they were willing to cooperate fully with the House investigation, they were also bound by the law and could not disregard a subsisting court order.
They therefore requested the committee to obtain and present a written court warrant or any other legal authorisation permitting Adeniyi’s temporary release from custody.
The officers explained that such approval would enable the police to comply with the committee’s directive without breaching the conditions of the court-ordered remand.
The development means the committee’s plan to question Adeniyi on Wednesday could not proceed as scheduled.
The House panel is investigating the circumstances surrounding the establishment and operations of the PFIPC, an organisation alleged to have operated without legal backing while reportedly securing office accommodation within the Federal Secretariat and receiving budgetary allocations in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The committee is expected to decide its next line of action after considering the police’s request for judicial authorisation.