ICPC Slams Fresh 36-Count Charge on Alleged Fake Presidential Council DG, Four Others

• The ICPC has filed a 36-count charge against alleged fake presidential council DG Adeniyi Adeyemi and four others, with arraignment adjourned until November 18.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed an amended 36-count charge against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the purported Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), and four others.

The council is alleged to be non-existent.

Prosecution counsel Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, informed the court on Monday that the amended charge expanded the previous 22 counts to 36 and included Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe as defendants.

The case was originally filed by the Nigeria Police.

Bail hearing gives way to amended charge

Monday’s proceedings had been scheduled for the hearing of Adeyemi’s bail application. However, the amendment required the defendants to enter fresh pleas before the matter could proceed.

The arraignment could not take place because Omameh, identified as the fourth defendant, was absent on health grounds. The other defendants were present.

”Her unavailability in court has constrained the prosecution from proceeding with the arraignment, this being a criminal charge,” Tahir said.

Relying on Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the prosecutor argued that a defendant must be present throughout a criminal trial, “subject to the exception stated therein.”

He requested a short adjournment to allow Omameh to recover and attend court to enter her plea.

Defence raises concern over detention

Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the amended charge or the request for an adjournment.

He nevertheless drew the court’s attention to what he described as his client’s prolonged detention.

Justice Yusuf Halilu adjourned the case until November 18 for the defendants’ arraignment.

The judge ordered that Adeyemi be returned to Kuje Correctional Facility, while the other defendants present were to return to ICPC custody.

The defendants have yet to enter pleas to the amended 36-count charge.