The alleged N5.2 billion fraud trial of former Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, on Wednesday ran into a brick wall at the Federal High Court in Abuja after both sides failed to show up with legal representation.
We gathered that when the case was called before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, neither the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) nor Ojerinde had lawyers in attendance, leaving the courtroom high and dry.
With the prosecution and defence missing in action, Justice Egwuatu had no option but to push the matter forward, adjourning proceedings until March 25 for either a report of settlement or continuation of trial. The judge also ordered that hearing notices be issued to all parties.
The stalled hearing comes against the backdrop of an earlier move by both parties to explore an out-of-court resolution of the N5.2 billion case on July 16, 2025.
At a previous sitting, Ojerinde’s lawyer, Eteya Ogana, had told the court that although the matter was slated for the defence to open its case, efforts were ongoing to resolve the dispute administratively. He had requested a long adjournment to allow the parties report back to the court on the development, a position also confirmed by ICPC counsel, Lesie Iheduru.
This was not Ojerinde’s first attempt at soft-landing the case. In February 2022, he had opted for a plea bargain with the anti-graft agency, but the arrangement later collapsed.
Ojerinde was arraigned in July 2021 on an 18-count charge bordering on corruption and fraud linked to his tenure at the National Examinations Council (NECO) and JAMB. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Earlier in the proceedings, Justice Egwuatu dismissed Ojerinde’s no-case submission and ordered him to open his defence. Through his counsel, the former JAMB boss had argued that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case, urging the court to throw out the charges.
The application followed the close of the prosecution’s case after presenting its witnesses. ICPC, however, insisted it had sufficiently nailed its allegations and urged the court to compel the defendant to enter his defence.
In his ruling, Justice Egwuatu held that the essential elements of the offences had been identified through the commission’s witnesses, making it necessary for Ojerinde to respond.
The ICPC accused Ojerinde of orchestrating multiple frauds while at the helm of NECO and JAMB, alleging abuse of office and fraudulent diversion of public funds amounting to N5.2 billion.
In its proof of evidence, presented by ICPC lawyer, Ebenezer Shogunle, the commission alleged that Ojerinde conferred corrupt advantage on himself at various times during his tenure as Registrar and Chief Executive of both examination bodies.
According to the prosecution, the alleged acts contravened Sections 19, 24, 25 (1) (a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, as well as Section 1 (1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006.
