No Escape for Ex-JAMB Boss: Court Dismisses N5.2B No-Case Submission

A no-case submission submitted by Dibu Ojerinde, the former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, in a ₦5.2 billion fraud case brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been rejected by Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
On Tuesday, the court reportedly decided that Ojerinde has a case to answer based on the anti-graft agency’s initial evidence.
When Justice Egwuatu delivered his decision, he concluded that Ojerinde had to enter his defense since the prosecution’s witnesses had sufficiently connected him to the accused offenses.

Thus, the no-case submission is rejected.

The judge declared, “The prosecution has proven sufficient evidence to require the defendant to provide explanations.”
The defendant’s defense was allowed to begin on July 16 after the case was postponed.

Ojerinde, a former head of the National Examinations Council (NECO) and JAMB, was charged with 18 counts in July 2021 that included conspiracy to defraud the federal government, abuse of office, and criminal conspiracy to divert public monies.

Ebenezer Shogunle, the lead lawyer 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’s attorney, Ibrahim Ishyaku (SAN), tried to negotiate a plea agreement with him, but the agreement fell through, and the trial went on.

When the ICPC closed its case after calling several witnesses, the defense filed a no-case submission, which was later thrown out.

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The main accusations made by the ICPC were that Ojerinde, while working as registrar at JAMB and NECO, had transferred billions of naira into personal accounts and private firms.

The panel further said that he violated anti-graft legislation by giving himself an unfair advantage.

On the other hand, Ojerinde has entered a not guilty plea to all counts.