The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, following an application by the Federal Government to withdraw the case.

The application was reportedly made by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who informed the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation had reviewed the case file and identified issues that informed the decision to discontinue the proceedings at the Federal High Court.

According to the report, the prosecution intends to pursue a fresh arraignment before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, arguing that the alleged offences involving the disputed agency’s documents could be prosecuted there. Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, reportedly did not oppose the application to strike out the charge.

Adeyemi had been arraigned before Justice Mohammed Umar after pleading not guilty to the eight charges. The case, which had initially been filed by the police, was subsequently taken over by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The defendant was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre following his arraignment, while the court had scheduled proceedings to hear the case. His bail application was also pending before the charge was withdrawn.

The allegations relate to Adeyemi’s purported role as Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, an organisation the prosecution has described as fictitious. The allegations include claims of forged official documents and impersonation, which Adeyemi had denied by pleading not guilty.

The striking out of the charge at the Federal High Court does not, by itself, amount to an acquittal or establish the defendant’s guilt. The next step will depend on whether the Federal Government proceeds with the reported plan to file a fresh case before the FCT High Court.