The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed an amended charge against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the purported Director-General of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), increasing the number of charges from 22 to 36.
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Prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, disclosed this on Monday, informing the court that four additional defendants had been included in the amended charge. They are Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe.
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The case was initially instituted by the Nigeria Police Force before being taken over by the ICPC.
Monday’s proceedings were initially scheduled for the hearing of Adeyemi’s bail application. However, the amendment of the charges meant that all the defendants, including Adeyemi, had to enter fresh pleas.
The arraignment could not proceed because the fourth defendant, Omameh, was absent from court due to health reasons, while the other defendants were present.
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Tahir told the court that her absence prevented the prosecution from proceeding with the arraignment, noting that all defendants must be present during criminal proceedings. He cited Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) in support of his position.
He subsequently requested a short adjournment to allow Omameh to recover and appear in court to enter her plea.
Counsel to Adeyemi, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the amended charge or the request for an adjournment. However, he drew the court’s attention to his client’s prolonged detention.
Justice Yusuf Halilu subsequently adjourned the case until November 18 for the arraignment of the defendants.
The judge also ordered that Adeyemi be returned to the Kuje Correctional Facility, while the other defendants were directed to return to the ICPC detention facility.
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