Group Raises Alarm, Demands Release Of PFIPC Promoter’s Father

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to order the immediate and unconditional release of the father of Adeniyi Adeyemi, describing his continued detention as unlawful and unconstitutional.

According to reports, the rights organisation made the demand in a statement jointly signed by its National President, Yinka Folarin, and National Secretary, Idris Afees, on Monday. The group argued that the detention contravenes the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, as well as other international human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory.

The CDHR condemned what it described as a case of substitute arrest, maintaining that detaining an individual in place of a suspect is illegal, arbitrary and inconsistent with the principles of justice and the rule of law. It stressed that the Nigeria Police Force is established to enforce the law within constitutional and statutory limits and should not engage in actions capable of eroding public confidence in the criminal justice system.

The organisation urged the Inspector-General of Police to ensure the immediate release of Adeyemi’s father and any other individual allegedly detained in connection with the matter unless there is credible evidence directly linking them to a recognised criminal offence. It further called on the police chief to safeguard the integrity of the Force by resisting any attempt to allow the institution to be used as a tool for coercion or intimidation.

The group noted that the office of the Inspector-General carries significant constitutional responsibilities and expressed the expectation that its occupant would continue to uphold professionalism, impartiality, respect for fundamental human rights and strict adherence to the rule of law.

The CDHR cited Section 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to personal liberty, and Section 36(5), which presumes every accused person innocent until proven guilty by a competent court. It also referenced Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which expressly prohibits substitute arrest, insisting that criminal liability is personal and that no individual should be detained or punished for the alleged actions of another.

In addition, the organisation referred to Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Articles 3 and 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all of which protect individuals from arbitrary arrest and guarantee the right to personal liberty.

The rights group stated that available information indicated Adeyemi had shown willingness to present himself to the authorities, making the continued detention of his father or any family member legally unjustifiable. It warned that law enforcement agencies must not resort to intimidation, coercion or collective punishment while carrying out their duties.

The CDHR further disclosed that it would continue to monitor the situation closely and would not hesitate to seek constitutional remedies, judicial intervention and international human rights mechanisms should the alleged unlawful detention continue.