ICPC releases fresh charges against former JAMB registrar

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned Dibu Ojerinde, the former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), along with his four children and several other defendants on fresh corruption charges. The arraignment took place at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Mr. Ojerinde, a professor, was charged with official corruption and abuse of office. His four children named in the case are Mary Ojerinde, Olumide Ojerinde, Adebayo Ojerinde, and Oluwaseun Ojerinde. Additionally, six companies linked to him were also named as defendants: Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Limited, Cheng Marbles Limited, Sapati International Schools Limited, Trillium Learning Centre Limited, Standout Institutes Limited, and Esli Perfect Security Printers Limited.

The case, with the reference FHC/ABJ/CR/119/2023, is the latest in a series of legal proceedings initiated by the ICPC against Mr. Ojerinde concerning corruption allegations. The commission stated that the charges involved “multiple layers of fraudulent identities and conspiracies designed by the defendants to conceal crimes.”

Previously, Mr. Ojerinde had been arraigned by the ICPC in July 2021 on 18 counts related to fund diversion during his tenure as the Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO) and Chief Executive of JAMB. The ICPC commenced the case after plea-bargain talks with Mr. Ojerinde broke down.

In addition to the ongoing legal proceedings, Mr. Ojerinde is facing trial at the Niger State High Court on corruption charges and related offenses. The ICPC had also obtained a forfeiture order on some landed assets connected to him.

The fresh charges against Mr. Ojerinde involve allegations of conspiring with three of his children to sell a forfeited property worth $150,000 in Accra, Ghana, after it had been seized by a court order. The property is located at House No. 4 Ahomko Drive, Achimota Phase 2.

Furthermore, the ICPC accuses Mr. Ojerinde of incorporating companies and assuming simultaneous appointments as Chairman and Director while serving as a full-time public officer at NECO and JAMB. This is in violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, which prohibits public officers from engaging in private businesses, except farming or shareholding in joint stock companies.

The ICPC also alleges that Mr. Ojerinde employed measures to conceal his ownership and active participation in the management of these companies by using forged documents, stolen identities, and synthetic names. These actions were undertaken to avoid government anti-corruption and anti-money laundering policies, such as the Know Your Customer (KYC) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) policies.

The charges against the defendants include violations of sections 17, 19, 22, and 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, as well as Section 1 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act, 2006. Additionally, some of the offenses are contrary to Section 1 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, CAP M17 of the Revised Laws of the Federation, 2007.

All the accused individuals pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them during the arraignment.

Regarding bail, the trial judge, Inyang Ekwo, granted Mr. Ojerinde bail on the conditions previously set by the Federal High Court in Abuja. His four children were each granted bail in the sum of N20,000,000 and required a surety of the same amount. The sureties must possess landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court, valued not less than the bail sum.

The judge

ordered all the other defendants to surrender their passports to the court and prohibited them from traveling outside the country without prior permission from the court. The Nigeria Immigration Service will be notified of this order.

The trial dates are scheduled for November 13, 14, 15, and 16, 2023.