The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Thursday rearrested a former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Prof. Adedibu Ojerinde, in Abuja.
Ojerinde’s arrest followed a warrant issued by the Federal High Court, Abuja.
He is expected to face a team of investigators over new evidence uncovered in relation to his ongoing trial over the alleged diversion of funds while he was a public officer.
ICPC’s operatives uncovered two accounts opened in the names of Trillium Learning Centre Limited and Sapati International Schools Limited into which funds were diverted using fictitious names of students.
The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Azuka Ogugua, revealed this in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Thursday.
Ogugua noted that the commission had, on December 12, 2022, invited the former JAMB registrar for questioning over the new evidence, but he wrote through his solicitor requesting 14 days’ grace to enable him to honour the invitation.
He said Ojerinde, however, refused to honour the invitation as undertaken by his counsel after the expiration of the 14-day grace period on December 27, 2022.
In the course of its ongoing investigation, the ICPC said it unearthed new evidence that suggests that 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 noted that it has recovered the cheque books of the companies’ accounts from Ojerinde, who has been taken into custody at the headquarters of the commission.
It added that it may likely prosecute the former registrar before a court of competent jurisdiction for offences involving forgery of documents, a stolen identity, money laundering, and concealment of gratification if the new evidence is confirmed.
