Fake Agency: ICPC Expands Charges Against Adeyemi, 4 Others To 36

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has increased the charges against Adeniyi Adeyemi, alleged director-general of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), from 22 to 36 counts, and has brought four additional civil servants into the case.

The four new defendants are Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe.

ICPC prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, disclosed this on Monday before Justice Yusuf Halilu, explaining that the commission had filed an amended charge following which all the defendants would be required to take their pleas afresh.

The case, which was initially instituted by the Nigeria Police Force, was originally scheduled for the hearing of Adeyemi’s bail application.

However, proceedings were stalled following the amendment of the charges, as the prosecution could not proceed with the arraignment due to the absence of the fourth defendant, Omameh, who was reportedly indisposed.

Tahir told the court that the absence of one of the defendants had prevented the prosecution from proceeding with the arraignment, stressing that all accused persons were required to be present for the plea-taking.

He cited Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which provides for the presence of defendants during criminal proceedings, subject to stipulated exceptions.

The prosecution counsel consequently urged the court to grant a short adjournment to enable Omameh to recover and appear for arraignment.

Counsel to Adeyemi, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the amended charge or the request for adjournment.

He, however, drew the court’s attention to Adeyemi’s prolonged detention.

In his ruling, Justice Halilu adjourned the matter until 18 November for the arraignment of all the defendants.

The judge also ordered that Adeyemi be returned to the Kuje Correctional Centre, while the other defendants were directed to return to the ICPC detention facility. I can also make the report more court-focused by bringing Adeyemi’s prolonged detention and the 18 November arraignment to the forefront.