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

The new charge represents an expansion of the previous 22-count case, bringing additional allegations against the defendants as the anti-corruption agency moves forward with its prosecution.

Politics Nigeria gathered that this was disclosed on Monday during proceedings before Justice Yusuf Halilu.

The court was initially scheduled to hear Adeyemi’s bail application, but the planned proceedings took a different turn following the presentation of the amended charges by the prosecution.

Prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, informed the court that the ICPC had reviewed and expanded the original 22 counts to 36.

He also identified the four other defendants included in the amended charge as Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe.

The case was initially instituted by the Nigerian Police before the ICPC took over the prosecution and proceeded with the amended charges.

Following the amendment, all five defendants were expected to appear before the court to take their pleas to the allegations contained in the new charge.

However, the arraignment could not proceed because the fourth defendant, Florence Omameh, was absent.

The court was informed that Omameh could not attend the proceedings due to health-related reasons.

Her absence became a major obstacle to the planned arraignment because the prosecution maintained that all the defendants were required to be present before the court could proceed with the criminal charge.

Tahir explained that the prosecution could not continue with the plea-taking process without the fourth defendant.

He therefore asked the court to grant a short adjournment to allow her sufficient time to recover and appear for the proceedings.

Explaining the legal position, the prosecution counsel relied on Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which provides for the presence of an accused person during criminal proceedings, subject to the exceptions contained in the law.

Tahir told the court that the absence of one of the defendants had prevented the prosecution from proceeding with the arraignment as scheduled.

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

He further urged the court to adjourn the matter for a short period so that Omameh could recover and participate in the arraignment alongside the other defendants.

The prosecution’s request meant that the court could not proceed with the originally scheduled hearing of Adeyemi’s bail application or take the pleas of the defendants on the amended charges.

Meanwhile, Adeyemi’s defence counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the amended charge presented by the ICPC. He also raised no objection to the prosecution’s request for an adjournment to enable the absent defendant to attend the next sitting.

However, Angulu used the opportunity to draw the court’s attention to the length of time his client had remained in detention.

The senior advocate reminded the court that Adeyemi had been in custody for a considerable period, bringing renewed attention to his continued detention while the criminal proceedings remained pending.

The issue of detention has remained an important part of the proceedings, particularly as Adeyemi’s legal team had been seeking the court’s consideration of his bail application.

Despite the arguments surrounding the matter, Justice Yusuf Halilu granted the request for an adjournment and fixed November 18 for the arraignment of all the defendants.

The judge directed that Adeyemi should be returned to the Kuje Correctional Facility pending the next hearing.

He also ordered that the other defendants be taken back to the ICPC detention facility until the matter resumes.

The November 18 sitting is expected to provide an opportunity for the prosecution to formally arraign the five defendants on the amended 36-count charge, provided all of them are available before the court.

The amendment has expanded the scope of the case from its original 22 counts, although the defendants are yet to enter their pleas to the fresh allegations.

Under the Nigerian criminal justice system, the filing of charges and the arraignment of suspects are important stages in the prosecution of criminal cases.

During arraignment, the charges are formally read to the defendants, who are then required to indicate whether they are guilty or not guilty.