A United States-based lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has questioned the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man who has described himself as the Director-General of the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The firm disclosed that Adeyemi was taken into custody by Nigerian law enforcement authorities shortly before he was scheduled to hold discussions with senior officials in the administration of United States President Donald Trump.
In a statement shared on its official X account, the lobbying organisation said it had been making arrangements for Adeyemi to speak with officials in Washington when news of his arrest reached them.
“We learned a short time ago that Mr. Adeyemi has been arrested by Nigerian law enforcement just as we were preparing for him to speak with senior members of President Donald Trump’s administration,” the firm stated.
According to Von Batten-Montague-York, Adeyemi was expected to submit documentary evidence along with a sworn statement regarding allegations he had previously made. The firm said the materials were to be forwarded to senior members of the Trump administration who had requested all available information relating to his claims.
The organisation added, “We are told that his arrest occurred shortly after it became public that we were in contact with him and just before he was expected to provide us with evidentiary materials and a sworn statement regarding his account.
“Those materials were to be transmitted to senior members of the Trump administration, who had requested that we provide all available information concerning Mr. Adeyemi’s allegations.”
The lobbying firm further disclosed that it would formally notify American officials about Adeyemi’s arrest while expressing concerns over the circumstances surrounding the development.
It alleged that available information suggested the arrest may have been accelerated to prevent Adeyemi from submitting evidence to the United States government.
“Tomorrow, we will report that Mr. Adeyemi has been arrested. We will also report our concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding his arrest,” the statement read.
The firm also alleged that the arrest was influenced by President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, claiming the move was intended to stop Adeyemi from presenting his allegations to American officials.
“We will keep the public updated on developments,” it added.
Adeyemi’s arrest came shortly after Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a bench warrant against him for failing to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment.
The arrest is the latest development in the ongoing PFIPC controversy, which has attracted investigations by Nigerian authorities over the activities of the organisation and claims made by its leadership.
