New Telegraph

Alleged N900m fraud: ICPC arrests ex-JAMB Registrar

Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), have arrested a former Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, over allegations bordering on misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N900 million. According to a statement by the commission’s spokesperson, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, the former JAMB boss was apprehended in Abuja on Monday, March 15. Apart from the said act, the ICPC further accused the Prof. of Tests and Measurement of perpetrating corruption when he held sway at the National Examination Council (NECO), an allegation he had yet to respond to. Specifically, Ojerinde is being held over multiple identities, abuse of office, money laundering, tax evasion and making false statements to public officials. The ICPC further alleged that the scholar, who is under detention, awarded fraudulent contracts for the supply of pencils and erasers at the cost of N450 million each.

The said contracts, the ICPC added, were awarded to Double 07 Concept Limited and Pristine Global Concept Limited, between 2013 and 2014, when he was registrar of the university examination body. “Professor Ojerinde, who was arrested on 15th March, 2021, in Abuja, by operatives of ICPC, is alleged to have committed multiple frauds while heading JAMB and the National Examination Council (NECO)”, the anticorruption agency said in the report. It continued: “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.” The statement further claimed that similar contracts were allegedly awarded to Solid Figures Limited, Holywalk Limited and other companies for various sums without any trace of executions. Ojerinde, the ICPC concluded, is being held on a remand warrant and will soon be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigation.

Read Previous

FEC approves $1.5bn for P’Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation

Read Next

2023 presidency: PDP may jettison zoning

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *