Former JAMB Registrar’s plea bargain with ICPC collapses in alleged N5.2bn fraud

By SUNDAY EJIKE, Abuja

The plea bargain discussions between former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Adedibu Ojerinde, and the Independent Corrupt Practice and other related offences Commission (ICPC) failed on Tuesday.

Ojerinde was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on an 18-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/97/2021, in which he was accused of complicity in the diversion of public funds estimated at over N5.2 billion, among other allegations.

The ICPC, prosecuting the former JAMB registrar on behalf of the federal government, claimed that Ojerinde committed the alleged offences from when was the Registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO) to his days in JAMB and up till 2021 after he left office.

It would be recalled that, on Tuesday, both the prosecution and defence counsel prayed the court to allow parties 24 hours to work out a possible plea bargain arrangement.

But, at the mention of the case on Wednesday, lead counsel to the anti-corruption agency, Ebenezer Shogunle told the court that the plea bargain arrangement failed and, “we have therefore resolved to proceed with the hearing. We have witnesses in court and ready to proceed.”

Lead defence counsel, Ibrahim Ishaku (SAN) confirmed the development to the court.

The court commenced a trial of the former JAMB registrar, following the collapse of the plea bargain discussion, with the prosecution calling its first witness, Peter Iyiola Oyewole, Ojerinde’s personal lawyer at a point, during which he aided him to incorporate companies and purchase properties.

The ICPC witness told the court that, Ojerinde allegedly floated eight companies, purchased three buildings and bank shares through his cronies while holding public office.

He said the companies, buildings, (two duplexes and a bungalow) and bank shares were acquired by Ojerinde when he held sway as Chief Executive of JAMB.

The witness admitted that he incorporated the eight companies and purchased the three houses for Ojerinde as his client on oral and written instructions.

The alleged companies are Oke-Afin Boys and Girls Hostel Limited, Sapati International School, Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Limited, Cheng Marbles Limited, Standout Institute Limited, Trillion Learning Center Limited, Grace Petroleum Limited and Ifelodun Communications Limited.

Certificates of Incorporation for the companies and title documents of the three buildings allegedly purchased for the defendant in Abuja were tendered and admitted as exhibits by the court.

Led in evidence by ICPC counsel, Mr Ebenezer Sogunle, the witness who claimed to have been called to the Nigerian Bar in 1999 told the trial Judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu that the companies were floated in the names supplied him by the defendant.

He testified that Ojerinde was registered as Director in two of the companies while names of his cronies were used as Directors in the rest, adding that he never met any of the cronies at the time he was using their names at the Corporate Affairs Commission.

The cronies used to register the companies, according to the witness are, Ojerinde Dayo, Ojerinde Olumide, Awodayo Habib, Adeyanju Gbenga, Ojerinde Olutoyin, Ojerinde Akanbi, Ojerinde Adedayo, Olayiwola Ayanwale and Ibrahim Danmusa, Ojerinde Dibu, Sanusi Alade Najeem among others.

He said that the receipts obtained in the course of transactions for the defendant were received and acknowledged in writing on behalf of the defendant by his son and a serving member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Olumide Ojerinde.

The witness who claimed to be an indigene of the same town, Igboho, with Ojerinde denied registering companies for the defendant to blackmail him adding that everything he did was on the instructions of the defendant.

To buttress his evidence, the witness tendered 12 letters exchanged between him and the defendant as well as 17 photocopies of bank drafts issued for his payment for the registration of the companies and the purchase of the three buildings.

The 17 photocopies of the bank drafts were delivered to him by one Dr Jimoh Olabisi, a former Director of Finance in JAMB and were admitted as exhibits.

The witness further told the court that Ojerinde acquired millions of shares at Osanta Mico-Finance Limited in addition to being a Director with the Bank at the time he was JAMB Registrar.

However, Ojerinde’s counsel, could not cross-examine the witness on the grounds that several documents tendered and admitted as exhibits were not part of the proof of evidence supplied him and applied for an adjournment to enable him to obtain the documents and carefully study them.

Following a no objection from the counsel to the ICPC, Justice Obiora Egwuatu fixed April 4 and 5, 2022 for the continuation of trial. (Nigerian Tribune)