The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has increased the forgery charges against Adeniyi Adeyemi, alleged director-general of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), from 22 to 36 counts.
The amended charges also brought four additional suspects — Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe — into the case, which was initially instituted by the Nigeria Police.
At the resumed proceedings on Monday, prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, informed the court that the commission had filed an amended charge, making it necessary for all the defendants to take fresh pleas.
The development stalled the hearing of Adeyemi’s bail application, which was originally scheduled for Monday.
However, the arraignment could not proceed following the absence of the fourth defendant, Omameh, who was reportedly indisposed.
Tahir told the court that her absence had prevented the prosecution from proceeding with the arraignment, as all defendants were required to be present in court for the criminal proceedings.
“Her unavailability in court has constrained the prosecution from proceeding with the arraignment, this being a criminal charge,” he said.
Relying on Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), the prosecution counsel argued that an accused person must be present throughout the trial, subject to the exceptions provided by law.
He consequently urged the court to grant a short adjournment to enable the absent defendant to recover and appear for arraignment.
Counsel to Adeyemi, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the amended charges or the request for adjournment.
He, however, drew the court’s attention to what he described as his client’s prolonged detention.
In his ruling, Justice Yusuf Halilu adjourned the matter until November 18, 2026, for the arraignment of the defendants.
The judge further ordered that Adeyemi be returned to the Kuje Correctional Facility, while the other defendants should remain at the ICPC detention facility pending their arraignment.
