Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, rejected the no-case submission filed by a former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, in his trial for alleged N5.2 billion fraud.
The judge, in a ruling, held that the elements of the offence preferred against Ojerinde had been identified by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) witnesses, requiring the defendant to enter a defence.
The ICPC arraigned Ojerinde on an 18-count charge of corruption.
The commission alleged that the ex-JAMB chief committed multiple frauds while heading the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Board.
He was initially arraigned in July 2021 before Justice Egwuatu over alleged abuse of office and fraudulent diversion of funds from government coffers to the tune of N5.2 billion.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
In the proof of evidence tendered before the court by the ICPC’s lawyer, Ebenezer Shogunle, the commission accused Ojerinde of conferring corrupt advantage upon himself at different times while he was the Registrar of JAMB and NECO, respectively.
It maintained that the actions violated 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.
However, Ojerinde, through his counsel, Ibrahim Ishyaku (SAN), in February 2022, opted for a plea bargain, but the plea bargain failed, following which the prosecution team, led by Shogunl,e moved for the trial to continue.
READ ALSO: Court orders Ojerinde’s release, fines ICPC N1.2m
The commission presented witnesses to substantiate its allegations against the defendant, after which his legal team filed a no-case submission, insisting that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against their client.
They prayed the court to dismiss the charges against Ojerinde.
The prosecution maintained that the commission had established its case and that the court should order the ex-JAMB boss to enter his defence.
Justice Egwuatu, in his ruling, held that relevant laws stipulate that a court must determine, among other things, whether there is evidence linking a defendant with an offence.
The judge observed that on the charges against the defendant, seven of the counts bordered on advance fee fraud, while others relate to corrupt practices.
He noted that witnesses had appeared in court to give evidence relating to the charges against the defendant.
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