Court Rejects Ex-JAMB Registrar Ojerinde’s No-Case Plea in N5.2 Billion Fraud Case
Dibu Ojerinde, the former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, filed a no-case submission in a ₦5.2 billion fraud case brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), but it was dismissed by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to reports, the court decided on Tuesday that Ojerinde has a case to answer based on the anti-graft agency’s initial evidence.
In his verdict, Justice Egwuatu stated that Ojerinde had to enter his defense because the prosecution’s witnesses had sufficiently connected him to the accused offenses.
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“This dismisses the no-case submission.
The judge decided that “the prosecution has established enough evidence to require the defendant to offer explanations.”
In order for the defendant to present his defense, the case was postponed until July 16.
Former JAMB and National Examinations Council (NECO) chief Ojerinde was charged with 18 counts in July 2021, including conspiracy to defraud the federal government, abuse of office, and illegal diversion of public monies.
Ebenezer Shogunle, the main attorney for the ICPC, claims that the alleged offenses are in violation of sections 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act of 2006 and 19, 24, 25(1)(a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act of 2000.
In February 2022, Ojerinde tried to reach a plea agreement with his attorney, Ibrahim Ishyaku (SAN), but the agreement fell through, and the trial went on.
The defense then filed a no-case submission, which was later thrown out, after the ICPC called several witnesses and concluded its case.
As a registrar at JAMB and NECO, Ojerinde was charged by the ICPC of transferring billions of naira into personal accounts and private firms.
Additionally, the commission claimed that he violated anti-graft legislation by giving himself an unfair benefit.
However, Ojerinde has entered a not guilty plea to every accusation.
