Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has dismissed the no-case submission filed by the former registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dibu Ojerinde.
Ojerinde was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in July 2021 and is standing trial on an 18-count charge over an alleged ₦5.2 billion fraud.
Ruling on the no-case submission filed by the defendant, Justice Egwuatu held that the witnesses presented by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have been able to establish elements of the offence against Ojerinde that require him to enter a defence.
The Judge therefore ruled that the no-case submission failed and was dismissed.
Justice Egwuatu further ordered Ojerinde to enter his defence and adjourned the matter to July 16.
The ICPC is alleging that Ojerinde committed multiple frauds while heading the National Examinations Council (NECO) and JAMB.
The former JAMB registrar was arraigned over allegations bordering on abuse of office and fraudulent diversion of funds from government coffers to the tune of ₦5.2 billion
He, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
In the proof of evidence tendered before the court by the prosecution counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle, the ICPC also accused Ojerinde of conferring corrupt advantage upon himself at different times while he was the registrar and chief executive of JAMB and NECO, respectively.
The allegations violate sections 19, 24, 25 (1) (a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and section 1 (1) (1) (1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006.
In February 2022, Ojerinde entered a Plea Bargain through his counsel, Ibrahim Ishyaku, but it failed, and the trial continued.
The ICPC has closed its case after calling several witnesses to substantiate the allegations.
Discussion0