[UPDATE] Alleged N5bn fraud: Court grants ex-JAMB Registrar, Ojerinde, N200m bail

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court Abuja has granted bail to Prof Lawrence Adedibu Ojerinde, former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in the sum of N200 million and two sureties.

The court ordered that Ojerinde must bring two sureties who must be residents in Abuja.

Also, Justice Egwuatu directed that the sureties must show evidence of tax payment in the last three years and that, one of the sureties must be a University Professor, while the other must be resident within Abuja.

The Professor in addition must provide documented evidence of professorship, letter of appointment and staff identity card.

The judge said the sureties must tender verifiable resident addresses and also ordered that Ojerinde must tender his international passport with the Federal High Court.

The court said a certified true copy of the international passport of the former JAMB Registrar must be collected from the High Court, Minna and submitted to the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Ojerinde was remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (Prison) Suleja, after his arraignment on Tuesday.

Justice Egwuatu subsequently adjourned till July 22 and 23, 2021 for trial.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) had arraigned the former JAMB Registrar on an 18-count charge bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of over N5 billion.

Ojerinde, who was said to have committed the offence during his tenure as Registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO) and JAMB, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and his lawyer, Chief Peter Oluwannishola (SAN), urged the court to grant his client temporary bail pending the hearing and determination of the main application.

Justice Egwuatu, however, declined and adjourned to Thursday 8 for a hearing of the bail application.

Arguing on Thursday, Olorunnishola urged the court to grant his client bail pursuant to Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and Section 35(1) of the Constitution.

The request was opposed by the prosecution lawyer, Mr Ebenezer Shogunle, who claimed that the defendant had breached the administrative bail conditions granted to him by the ICPC, adding that the defendant will interfere with the investigation as well as intimidate witnesses.

Justice Egwuatu however ruled that there was no evidence before the court to prove that the defendant jumped administrative bail, interfere with an investigation or intimidate witnesses, adding that the prosecution had already concluded its investigation of the matter.

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Alleged N5bn fraud: Court grants ex-JAMB Registrar, Ojerinde, N200m bail