Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has rejected a no-case submission filed by former Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, ruling that he must open his defence in the ongoing ₦5.2 billion fraud trial.
Ojerinde, who is facing an 18-count charge bordering on financial misappropriation, was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in July 2021.
Delivering ruling on Tuesday, Justice Egwuatu held that the ICPC had presented enough prima facie evidence through its witnesses to warrant a response from the defendant.
“The prosecution has established elements of the alleged offences sufficiently to require the accused to enter his defence,” the judge said before dismissing the application.
The court has now adjourned proceedings till July 16 for Ojerinde to begin his defence.
READ ALSO: ICPC re-arrests ex-JAMB registrar, Ojerinde
The ICPC has accused the former JAMB boss of engaging in a web of financial misconduct during his time as the head of both the National Examinations Council (NECO) and JAMB.
The allegations include abuse of office and diversion of public funds running into billions of naira.
Prosecuting counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle, told the court that Ojerinde conferred corrupt advantages on himself during his tenure in both agencies, contrary to several provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006.
Though Ojerinde pleaded not guilty, the ICPC called multiple witnesses to back its case before closing arguments. A plea bargain move initiated by the defendant in 2022 fell through, prompting the trial to proceed.
Tuesday’s ruling marks a major turning point in the high-profile trial, which has drawn significant public interest given the scale of the alleged fraud and Ojerinde’s previous prominence in Nigeria’s education sector.