Alleged N5bn Fraud: ICPC Re-arrests Ex-JAMB Registrar at Court Premises

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has re-arrested a former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Adedibu Ojerinde.

Ojerinde, a professor, was re-arrested on Thursday, January 26, following a warrant issued by the Federal High Court, Abuja.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the spokesperson of ICPC, Azuka Ogugua.

Ojrrinde is expected to face a team of investigators over new evidence uncovered concerning his ongoing trial for the diversion of funds while he was a public officer.

Parts of the statement read, “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 Commission had, on the 12th December 2022, invited the former JAMB Registrar for questioning over the new evidence, but he wrote through his solicitor requesting for 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 27th December 2022.

“In the course of its ongoing investigation, the Commission unearthed new evidence that suggests that Ojerinde is the sole signatory to various bank accounts operated in the name of Trillium Learning Centre Ltd and Sapati International School Ltd. Ojerinde reportedly operated those accounts using false identities and forged documents in the names of Joshua Olakulehin Olaniran and Akanbi Lamidi respectively.”

The Commission said Ojerinde also reportedly used another false identity, Adeniyi Banji, to operate a separate account in the name of Standout Institutes Ltd.

The ICPC added that it had recovered the cheque books of the companies’ accounts from Ojerinde, who has been taken into custody at the Commission’s headquarters.

The Commission said it will 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.

The ICPC is currently prosecuting Ojerinde at the Federal High Court Abuja and Federal High Court Minna on an 18-count charge 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 (NECO) and JAMB.

According to the ICPC, Ojerinde had allegedly conferred corrupt advantages upon himself at different times while being 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.

On March 15th, 2021, ICPC arrested Ojerinde for allegedly misappropriating N900 million.