Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) has explained why it re-arrested a former registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Dibu Ojerinde.
Mr Ojerimde was re-arrested by operatives of the commission after a court hearing in Abuja.
He is standing trial on 18 charges of diversion of public funds to the tune of N5 billion.
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ICPC spokesperson Azuka Oguguwa, said in a statement said that Mr Ojerinde, who is currently undergoing corruption trial, was re-arrested after he allegedly refused to honour its invitations over fresh allegations of corruption.
“The commission had on the 12 December, 2022, invited the former JAMB Registrar for questioning over the new evidence but he wrote through his solicitor requesting for 14 days grace to enable him honour the invitation.
“Mr Ojerinde, however, refused to honour the invitation as undertaken by his counsel after the expiration of the 14 days grace on 27th December, 2022,” the statement read in part.
This is coming after Jimoh Olabisi, a former Deputy Director at JAMB and witness of the ICPC, alleged in court on Wednesday, January 25, that Ojerinde used him to divert federal government funds.
The former registrar who has been accused of committing multiple frauds while heading JAMB and the National Examination Council (NECO), was arraigned on July 6, 2021, on an 18-count charge bordering on alleged misappropriation of funds to the tune of N5.2 billion.
Mr Ojerinde, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was later granted bail in the sum of N200 million.
However, in a fresh allegation, the commission said the former JAMB registrar would be questioned by a team of investigators over new evidence uncovered in relation to his ongoing trial involving diversion of funds while he was a public officer.
It said two accounts opened in the names of Trillium Learning Centre Ltd and Sapati International Schools Ltd, which is also a subject of investigations, were uncovered by Its operatives.
It alleged that the accounts contained funds that were diverted using fictitious names of students.
“In the course of its ongoing investigation, the Commission unearthed new evidence that suggests that Mr Ojerinde is the sole signatory to various bank accounts operated in the name of Trillium Learning Centre Ltd and Sapati International School Ltd.
“Ojerinde reportedly operated those accounts using false identities and forged documents in the names of Joshua Olakulehin Olaniran and Akanbi Lamidi respectively. He also reportedly used another false identity, Adeniyi Banji to operate a separate account in the name of Standout Institutes Ltd.
“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.”
He would likely, according to the commission, be prosecuted in court for forgery of documents, stolen identity, money laundering and concealment of gratification
