The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has increased the charges against Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly headed a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), from 22 to 36 counts.
Prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), disclosed this on Monday before Justice Yusuf Halilu, saying four other defendants had been included in the amended charge.
The additional defendants are Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe. The case was initially instituted by the police before being taken over by the ICPC.
The proceedings, initially scheduled for the hearing of Adeyemi’s bail application, could not proceed because the amended charge required all defendants to enter their pleas.
However, arraignment was stalled by the absence of the fourth defendant, Omameh, who was reportedly indisposed.
Tahir told the court that her absence prevented the prosecution from proceeding with the arraignment, citing Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which requires defendants to be present during criminal proceedings, subject to specified exceptions.
He urged the court to grant a short adjournment to allow Omameh to recover and appear for arraignment.
Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, also a SAN, did not oppose the amended charge or the adjournment but drew the court’s attention to his client’s prolonged detention.
Justice Halilu adjourned the case until November 18 for the arraignment of the defendants.
The judge ordered that Adeyemi be returned to Kuje Correctional Centre, while the other defendants were to be taken back to the ICPC detention facility.
