The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has filed fresh fraud charges against a former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dibu Ojerinde, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Mr Ojerinde, a professor, who is already facing trial on N5 billion fraud charges at the same court, is expected to be arraigned alongside three of his sons as well as a daughter-in-law today, March 24.
The three sons are Olumide Abiodun Ojerinde, Adedayo Ojerinde and Oluwaseun Adeniyi Ojerinde, while the daughter-in-law is Mary Funmilola Ojerinde.
The list of the defendants also includes Mr Ojerinde’s firms – Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Ltd, Cheng Marbles Ltd, Sapati International Schools Ltd, Trillium Learnings Centre Ltd and Standout Institutes Ltd.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, is putting Mr Ojerinde and the 10 defendants on trial on behalf of the Federal Government.
ICPC accused them in the fresh case of diverting public funds while Mr Ojerinde served as National Examinations Council (NECO) and JAMB registrar.
Ojerinde, his family and their companies face a 17-count corruption charge.
Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo is expected to take their plea on the charges today.
ICPC had previously arraigned him before another judge of the court, Obiora Egwuatu, in July 2021 on 18 counts involving the diversion of funds during his time as the registrar of NECO till his time as JAMB’s chief executive.
ICPC opened its case in February after the breakdown of a plea-bargain talks Mr Ojerinde had with the anti-graft agency.
In April 2022, an ICPC’s witness testified on how Mr Ojerinde allegedly set up a radio station with N15million diverted from JAMB.
Najeem Sanusi, a retired air commodore, who described himself as a co-owner of the radio station, said it was incorporated as Ifelodun Communications and cited in Mr Ojerinde’s hometown, Oke-Ogun, Oyo State.
According to him, the radio station was located in a compound where Mr Ojerinde’s late mother also lived, adding that an adjoining plot of land was purchased to accommodate the mast and antenna.
Mr Sanusi told the court how he proposed the idea of establishing the radio station to Mr Ojerinde in 2015.
He testified that the former JAMB boss welcomed the idea and immediately invited his lawyer, Peter Oyewole, to a meeting.
He said the defendant subsequently instructed a JAMB account officer to issue bank drafts of N15 million to procure the radio licence.
“The defendant then called Jimoh Olabisi, who happened to be an accounting staff of JAMB, and in a meeting in his house in Maitama, Abuja, he said that any matter related to financial issues should be directed to Mr Jimoh.
“Subsequently, Mr Jimoh gave me bank drafts of N15 million to pay NBC as part of the requirements for obtaining a license. I paid the draft to NBC, gave original documents to Jimoh Olabisi, and kept photocopies of the documents for my records,” Mr Sanusi said.
