Federal Court Strikes Out Case Against Adeniyi Adeyemi

A Federal High Court in Abuja struck out an eight-count case against Adeniyi Adeyemi on Monday after federal prosecutors asked to discontinue it, saying the allegations should be heard in another court. The government says it has filed a fresh charge at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, where Adeyemi is expected to be arraigned. The reports do not establish that the new arraignment has taken place. Justice Mohammed Umar granted the prosecution’s application after Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation Rotimi Oyedepo told the court that the Attorney-General had reviewed the case file. Oyedepo said the review identified defects in the case initially filed by police and that alleged forgery offences fell within the FCT High Court’s jurisdiction, rather than the Federal High Court’s. Adeyemi’s lawyer, Ibrahim Angulu, did not oppose the application. The judge’s decision ends the existing proceedings in the Federal High Court, but it does not decide whether Adeyemi is guilty or innocent of the allegations. The prosecution’s account of the review and jurisdiction was presented to the court as its reason for seeking a new proceeding.