By Jennifer Ugwueke
A former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, has been granted bail in the sum of N200 million by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Ojerinde was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission(ICPC) on an 18-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/97/2021, in which he was accused, among others, of complicity in the diversion of public funds estimated at over N5.2billion while he served as the Registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO).
He was alleged to have awarded contracts for the supply of pencil and eraser at the cost of N450 million each, to Double 07 Concept Limited and Pristine Global Concept Limited, respectively, between 2013 and 2014 while heading JAMB. According to ICPC, there is no evidence to show that the items which are examination materials were supplied as the contractors cannot be found.
During the hearing of his bail application today July 8, Peter Olorunnishola, counsel to Ojerinde asked the court to grant him bail pursuant to section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and section 35(1) of the constitution. However, Ebenezer Shogunle, the prosecution counsel opposed the bail application saying Ojerinde breached the administrative bail conditions granted to him by the ICPC. He said the defendant refused to bring his family members for interrogation which was one of the bail conditions.
Delivering judgement in the bail application, the presiding judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, said there is no evidence before the court to prove that the defendant jumped administrative bail or would intimidate witnesses.
“Bail is granted to the applicant in the sum of N200 million and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be resident in Abuja, provide an acceptable means of identification and evidence of tax payment for three years.
One of the sureties shall be a professor in a federal university, provide documented evidence of professorship, letter of appointment and staff identity card.
Second surety shall be a property owner in the federal capital territory (FCT) of Abuja. The building must be covered with a certificate of occupancy which will be deposited with the registrar of this court.
The residences of the sureties shall be verified, pictures of the residences showing the street name and number shall be exhibited.”he said
The court also ordered that the international passport of the defendant be retrieved from another court in Niger state where he is also standing trial, and deposited with the registrar of the federal high court.