Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), on Thursday, rearrested a former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde.
Prof. Ojerinde was rearrested after the adjournment of his trial on an 18-count charge bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of N5 billion.
He was arrested at the car park of Federal High Court Abuja, shortly after the adjournment of his trial to 15 February by Justice Obiora Egwuatu
The former JAMB Registrar was reportedly with one of his sons at the carpark when he was accosted by the ICPC operatives, who whisked him away in their vehicle.
A source in the commission, who confirmed the arrest, said a warrant for the re-arrest of Ojerinde was obtained from the FHC Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho.
He is expected to face a team of investigators over new evidence uncovered in relation to his ongoing trial for the diversion of funds while he was a public officer.
The ICPC operatives uncovered two accounts opened in the names of Trillium Learning Centre Ltd and Sapati International Schools Ltd into which funds were diverted using fictitious names of students.
The spokesperson for the anti-graft, Azuka Ogugua, revealed this in a statement on Thursday.
Ogugua noted that the commission had on December 12, 2022, invited the former JAMB registrar for questioning over the new evidence but he wrote through his solicitor requesting 14 days grace to enable him honour the invitation. Ojerinde, however, refused to honour the invitation as undertaken by his counsel after the expiration of the 14 days grace on December 27, 2022.
In the course of its ongoing investigation, the ICPC said it unearthed new evidence that suggested that Ojerinde is the sole signatory to various bank accounts operated in the name of Trillium Learning Centre Ltd and Sapati International School Limited.
Ojerinde reportedly operated those accounts using false identities and forged documents in the names of Joshua Olakulehin Olaniran and Akanbi Lamidi respectively. He also reportedly used another false identity, Adeniyi Banji to operate a separate account in the name of Standout Institutes Ltd.
The ICPC noted that it has recovered the cheque books of the companies’ accounts from Ojerinde, who has been taken into custody at the headquarters of the commission.
It added that it may likely prosecute the former registrar before a court of competent jurisdiction for offences bothering on forgery of documents, stolen identity, money laundering and concealment of gratification if the new evidence is confirmed.
Ojerinde is currently being prosecuted by the commission at the Federal High Court Abuja and Federal High Court Minna on 18 counts bordering on abuse of office and fraud to the tune of about N10 billion while serving as heads of two government agencies, the National Examination Council and JAMB.
He had allegedly conferred corrupt advantages upon himself at different times while being the head of JAMB and NECO, thereby violating 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.
