The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) re-arrested Adedibu Ojerinde, a former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in Abuja on Thursday over a N10 billion fraud case. 

Ojerinde had previously been arrested in July 2021 over allegations of fraud committed under his watch as registrar of JAMB. He faced an 18-count charge in suit FHC/ABJ/CR/97/2021, including complicity in the diversion of public funds estimated at over N5.2 billion. 

A federal high court in Abuja issued a warrant for Ojerinde’s re-arrest after new evidence against him came to light. 

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The ICPC has stated that Ojerinde “conferred corrupt advantages” upon himself at different times when he was the head of JAMB and the National Examination Council.

“He (Ojerinde) is expected to face a team of investigators over new evidence uncovered in relation to his ongoing trial for diversion of funds while he was a public officer,” ICPC’s official statement read in part. 

“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.

“Ojerinde is currently being prosecuted by the Commission 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.”

The ICPC stated that it had invited Ojerinde for questioning over the new evidence on December 12, 2022, but he wrote through his solicitor requesting for 14 days grace to enable him honour the invitation. After the 14 days elapsed, Ojerinde failed to honour the invitation as undertaken by his counsel. 

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The ICPC has claimed that new evidence suggests Ojerinde is the sole signatory to the various bank accounts operated in the name of Trillium Learning Centre Ltd. and Sapati International School Ltd. The bank accounts are registered with forged documents and the false identities of Joshua Olakulehin Olaniran and Akanbi Lamidi. 

Ojerinde also used Adeniyi Banji, another false identity, to operate a separate account in the name of Standout Institutes Ltd., according to the ICPC. 

“The ICPC has recovered the cheque books of the companies’ accounts from Ojerinde, who has been taken into custody at the headquarters of the commission,” the anti-corruption agency said.

“The commission may likely 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.”

Ojerinde was the registrar of NECO from 1999 to 2007 and registrar of JAMB from April 2012 to August 2016.