Former Joint Admissions Matriculation Board registrar, children arraigned on corruption charges
A former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Dibu Ojerinde, and four of his children Mary Ojerinde, Olumide Ojerinde, Adebayo Ojerinde and Oluwaseun Ojerinde have being arraigned for official corruption and abuse of office.
Penpushing reports that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday, charged the family alongside other accused before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
The other defendants are six companies linked to him, namely: Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Limited, Cheng Marbles Limited, Sapati International Schools Limited, Trillium Learning Centre Limited, Standout Institutes Limited and Esli Perfect Security Printers Limited.
Penpushing further reports that the former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), is facing multiple charges of corruption before different judges, while the case, marked FHC//ABJ/CR/119/2023, is the latest of the legal proceedings Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) has, so far, filed against Ojerinde over corruption allegations.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) in a statement capturing highlights of Thursday’s proceedings that its case against the former registrar involved multiple layers of fraudulent identities and conspiracies designed by the defendants to conceal crimes.
Penpushing also reports that the statement signed by the agency spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua. Explained that Ojerinde had being arraigned before another judge of the court, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in July 2021 on 18 counts involving the diversion of funds during his time as the registrar of National Examination Council(NECO) till his time as the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), chief executive.
The former registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), is also standing trial at the Niger State High Court on alleged corruption and other ancillary offences, while the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) had also secured a forfeiture order on some landed assets linked to him.
Penpushing further reports that in the fresh 17 charges, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), through its counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle, alleged that Ojerinde conspired with three of his children (Oluwaseun Ojerinde, Olumide Ojerinde, and Adebayo Ojerinde) to sell off property worth $150,000 after it had been forfeited to the Nigerian government by a court order, and the property is located at House No. 4 Ahomko Drive, Achimota Phase 2, Accra, Ghana.
The prosecution also accused Ojerinde of incorporating companies and taking up simultaneous appointments as Chairman and Director, while being a public officer on full-time appointment as Registrar/Chief Executive of National Examinations Council (NECO), Minna and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Bwari, Abuja.
Penpushing also reports that Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) said this was despite that Ojerinde knew very well that the Code of Conduct for Public Officers forbids public officers from engaging in private business other than farming or participating in shareholding of joint stock companies.
The agency equally alleged that Ojerinde, in order to avoid various anti-corruption and anti-money laundering policies of government, notably Know Your Customer (KYC) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) policies, took measures to conceal his ownership and active participation in the management of some of these companies by using forged documents, stolen identities and synthetic names.”
Penpushing further reports that Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) pointed out that some of the alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under sections 17, 19, 22 and 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The commission stated that some of the offences were also said to be contrary to, and punishable under Section 1 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act, 2006,adding that the rest of the alleged offences were contrary to and punishable under Section 1 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, CAP M17 of the Revised Laws of the Federation, 2007.
Penpushing also reports that the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to them, and in his ruling the judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, granted bail to Ojerinde on terms earlier granted to him by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The children of the first accused His four were each admitted bail in the sum of N20, 000,000 and a surety in like sums, while each of their sureties must have landed properties not below the value of the bail sum and within the jurisdiction of the court.
Penpushing reports that the trial judge fixed 13, 14, 15, and 16 November for hearing also ordered the other defendants to surrender their passports to the court and must not travel outside the country without recourse to the court, and ordered that the Nigeria Immigration Service be notified of the development.
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