According to the letter, any request for Adeniyi’s appearance before the committee would have to comply with the subsisting court order and other applicable legal procedures.
By Mmesoma Onwuka
365Daily — The Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday explained why the alleged self-proclaimed director general of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Matthew Adeyemi, could not be produced before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee probing the activities of the controversial organisation.
The Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Olufemi Akinola, told the committee that Adeyemi needs legal clearance before he can be taken out of police custody where he has been in connection with an ongoing investigation into allegations of conspiracy and forgery.
A letter from the IGP, read by the committee’s chairman, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, stated that the suspect’s continued detention is backed by a valid court order, making it impossible for the police to present him before the lawmakers without following due legal process.
According to the letter, any request for Adeniyi’s appearance before the committee would have to comply with the subsisting court order and other applicable legal procedures.
In the continued hearing of the committee at the National Assembly, Gagdi said he considered it necessary to read the police correspondence publicly to dispel any impression that Adeyemi had ignored the committee’s invitation or deliberately refused to honour the summons.
The chairman stressed that the committee would not take any action capable of interfering with ongoing investigations or judicial proceedings, insisting that the House remains committed to upholding the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
He also commended the security and anti-corruption agencies involved in different aspects of the investigation, including the Nigeria Police Force, 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), assuring that the committee would continue to work with the relevant agencies and seek additional clarifications where necessary as it advances its investigation into the activities of the PFIPC.
The ad hoc committee is expected to resume its proceedings next week as it moves towards concluding its inquiry into the operations of the controversial organisation.