The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has filed an amended charge against Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly presented himself as the director-general of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC.
The commission has increased the charges from 22 to 36 and added four other defendants to the case.
ICPC's prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, disclosed this during proceedings on Monday.
The four newly named defendants are Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe.
The case was initially instituted by the Nigeria Police Force before the ICPC took over the prosecution.
Monday's sitting was initially scheduled for the hearing of Adeyemi's bail application. However, the amended charges meant that all the defendants had to appear in court to take their pleas.
The arraignment could not proceed because the fourth defendant, Omameh, was absent due to health reasons. The other defendants were present.
Explaining why the prosecution could not continue, Tahir told the court: "Her unavailability in court has constrained the prosecution from proceeding with the arraignment, this being a criminal charge."
He cited Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, arguing that defendants must be present throughout their trial, except in circumstances allowed by the law.
He consequently asked the court to grant a short adjournment to enable Omameh to recover and appear for her plea.
Adeyemi's lawyer, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, did not oppose the amended charges or the request for an adjournment.
However, he drew the court's attention to the length of time his client had spent in detention.
Justice Yusuf Halilu subsequently adjourned the case until November 18 for the arraignment of all the defendants.
The judge also directed that Adeyemi be returned to the Kuje Correctional Facility, while the other defendants were ordered back to the ICPC detention facility.