Court Strikes Out Charges Against Alleged Fake PFIPC DG, Orders Fresh Arraignment
The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out the eight-count criminal charge against Adeniyi Adeyemi, accused of impersonating the Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), paving the way for his fresh arraignment before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the charges on Monday after the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, applied to terminate the existing proceedings.
Oyedepo told the court that a review by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice identified jurisdictional issues with some of the documents allegedly forged by Adeyemi.
He explained that the alleged offences fell within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.
The prosecution said a fresh charge had already been filed at the FCT High Court, where Adeyemi is expected to be arraigned again. Defence counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the application, leading Justice Umar to strike out the existing charges.
Adeyemi, 38, had been standing trial alongside two other defendants identified only as Femi and Anu, whose whereabouts remain unknown. The defendants faced allegations of conspiracy and forgery.
The striking out of the charges clears the way for fresh proceedings at the FCT High Court and does not amount to a determination of Adeyemi’s guilt or innocence.
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