By Taiye Agbaje
The absence of the prosecution and defence lawyers in the trial of Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Wednesday, stalled hearing at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Ojerinde had no legal representation in court when the matter was called before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
Justice Egwuatu therefore adjourned the matter until March 25 for report of settlement or for continuation of the trial.
The judge directed that hearing notices be issued to parties in the matter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ojerinde and ICPC had, on July 16, 2025, agreed to settle the N5.2 billion case out of court.
Counsel to Ojerinde, Mr Eteya Ogana, had informed the judge that though the matter was adjourned for defence to open their case, there were moves to settle the matter administratively.
The lawyer then sought a long adjournment to enable him to report the development back to the court.
ICPC’s counsel, Lesie Iheduru, also corroborated Ogana’s submission.
Ojerinde had, in February 2022, opted for a plea bargain with the anti-corruption commission before the settlement collapsed.
He was arraigned on 18-counts charge before Justice Egwuatu in July 2021 by the commission for offences of corruption and fraud, when he headed the National Examinations Council (NECO) and JAMB.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Justice Egwuatu had, earlier, dismissed the no-case submission filed by Ojerinde and ordered him to enter his defence.
The ex-JAMB registrar, through his lawyer, had argued that he had no case to answer, insisting that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against him.
He, therefore, prayed the court to dismiss the charges against him.
The development followed after the commission had presented witnesses and closed its case against the defendant.
But ICPC, in its argument, said it had been able to substantiate its allegations against the defendant.
The prosecution maintained that the commission had established its case and that the court should order him to enter his defence.
In his ruling, the judge held that the elements of the offence preferred against Ojerinde had been identified by the ICPC’s witnesses, requiring the defendant to enter a defence.
He allegedly committed offences bordering on abuse of office and fraudulent diversion of funds from government coffers to the tune of N5.2 billion.
In the proof of evidence tendered before the court by the ICPC lawyer, Mr Ebenezer Shogunle, the commission accused him of conferring corrupt advantage upon himself.
This, the anti-graft agency alleged was done at different times while he was the Registrar and Chief Executive of JAMB and NECO respectively.
The agency said that these 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. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited Sadiya Hamza
