Former Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde, has on Tuesday been ordered to be remanded in prison custody pending bail application.
Ojerinde was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday on 18-count charges of fraud preferred against him by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
It would be recalled that Ojerinde was arrested on March 15 in Abuja by operatives of ICPC and he has been detained for questioning over multiple frauds he allegedly committed while heading JAMB and National Examination Council (NECO).
Read Also: Ex-JAMB Registrar Professor Ojerinde Arrested Over Alleged N900m Fraud
Ojerinde was detained by the Commission for questioning over allegations of multiple identities, abuse of office, money laundering, tax evasion, and making false statements to public officials.
He was also said to have awarded contracts for the supply of pencils and erasers at the cost of N450 million each, to companies identified as Double 07 Concept Limited and Pristine Global Concept Limited, respectively between 2013 and 2014.
ICPC says that despite the huge sums of money allocated to these contracts, there is no evidence to show that the items which are examination materials were supplied as the contractors are seemingly non-existent.
Read Also: ICPC To Arraign Ex-JAMB Registrar, Ojerinde For Awarding N900m Contracts To Supply Pencils, Erasers
Although the ex-JAMB Registrar denied all the charges, he was ordered to be taken to custody till Thursday when his lawyer, Peter Olorunmisola (SAN), will formally apply for his bail.
The counsel had made desperate efforts to convince Justice Obiora Egwuatu to allow Ojerinde continue with the administrative bail granted him by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
However, the Judge turned down the request on the ground that such was not grantable having been arraigned in court.
The plea that he be allowed home to enable him attend another trial in Minna, Niger State, on criminal charges was also rejected by the court.
At as the time of this report, official of Federal Prison Authority, Kuje were making moves to move him to prison.
More details to come.
