Thursday, 18 March 2021

Ex-JAMB Registrar, Ojerinde, arrested, detained over alleged N900 million fraud

The anti-corruption agency says Mr Ojerinde was arrested on Monday and will soon be charged to court.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested a former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dibu Ojerinde.

A statement posted on the commission’s website on Wednesday said Mr Ojerinde was arrested on Monday and being held on a remand warrant for allegedly misappropriating N900 million.

It added that Mr Ojerinde allegedly perpetrated the fraud as JAMB registrar from April 10, 2012 to August 1, 2016 and the Registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO) between 1999 and 2007.

The commission said the suspect has, since his arrest, been answering questions on allegations of multiple identities, abuse of office, money laundering, tax evasion, making false statements, and awarding fraudulent contracts to untraceable shell companies.

The statement reads in part, “Professor Ojerinde, who was arrested on March 15, 2021, in Abuja, by operatives of ICPC, is alleged to have committed multiple frauds while heading JAMB and the National Examination Council (NECO).

“He has been 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.

“The former JAMB boss is also being questioned by the commission for allegedly awarding fraudulent contracts to shell companies which cannot be traced.

“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.

“There is no evidence to show that the items which are examination materials were supplied as the contractors cannot be found.”


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