By Taiye Agbaje
The absence of lawyers to the prosecution and the defence in the trial of Prof. Dibu
Ojerinde, the former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB),
on Wednesday, stalled hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC) and Ojerinde had no legal representation in court when the matter was
called before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
Justice Egwuatu therefore adjourned the matter until March 25 for report of
settlement or for continuation of trial as he directed that hearing notices be issued
to parties in the matter.
Recall that Ojerinde and ICPC had, on July 16, 2025, agreed to settle the N5.2
billion case out of court.
Lawyer who appeared for Ojerinde, Eteya Ogana, had informed the judge that
though the matter was adjourned for defence to open their case, there were moves
to see that the issue was settled administratively.
The lawyer then sought a long adjourned date to enable them report the
development back to court. ICPC’s counsel, Lesie Iheduru, also corroborated
Ogana ‘s remark.
Ojerinde had, in February 2022, opted for a plea bargain with the anti-corruption
commission before the settlement collapsed.
He was arraigned on 18-count charge before Justice Egwuatu in July 2021 by the
commission for offences of corruption and fraud, when he headed the National
Examinations Council (NECO) and JAMB.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Justice Egwuatu had, earlier, dismissed the no-case submission filed by Ojerinde
and ordered him to enter his defence.
The ex-JAMB registrar, through his lawyer, had argued that he had no case to
answer, insisting that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against
him.
He, therefore, prayed the court to dismiss the charges against him.
The development followed after the commission had presented witnesses and
closed its case against the defendant.
But ICPC, in its argument, said it had been able to substantiate its allegations
against the defendant.
The prosecution maintained that the commission had established its case and that
the court should order him to enter his defence.
In his ruling, the judge held that the elements of the offence preferred against
Ojerinde had been identified by the ICPC’s witnesses, requiring the defendant to
enter a defence.
The ICPC alleged that Ojerinde committed multiple frauds while heading NECO
and JAMB.
He was alleged to have committed offences bordering on abuse of office and
fraudulent diversion of funds from government coffers to the tune of N5.2 billion.
In the proof of evidence tendered before the court by the ICPC’s lawyer, Ebenezer
Shogunle, the commission accused him of conferring corrupt advantage upon
himself at different times while he was the Registrar and Chief Executive of JAMB
and NECO respectively.
It maintained that these actions violated Sections 19, 24, 25 (1) (a) and (b) of the
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and Section 1 (1)(b) of
the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006.
