The trial of former registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Prof. Dibu Ojerinde and four of his children was on Monday, stalled at a Federal High Court, Abuja following a plea for an adjournment by the defence.
The matter, which was listed for trial, could not proceed after counsel for the defence Ibrahim Isiyaku sought an adjournment before Justice Inyang Ekwo to enable him make proper plans for the defendants’ representation.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on June 15 arraigned the ex-JAMB registrar on charges of official corruption and abuse of office.
In a charge marked: FHC//ABJ/CR/119/2023, Ojerinde was arraigned alongside four of his children; Mary Ojerinde, Olumide Ojerinde, Adebayo Ojerinde and Oluwaseun Ojerinde as eighth to 11th defendants.
Also joined in the 17-count charge are six companies linked to him, namely: Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Limited, Cheng Marbles Limited, Sapati International Schools Limited, Trillium Learning Centre Limited, Standout Institutes Limited and Esli Perfect Security Printers Limited as 2nd to 7th defendants respectively.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts preferred against them and were granted bail by the court.
When the matter was called, Isiyaku, who announced appearance for the first, second, third, seventh, ninth, 10th and 11th defendants, acknowledged the matter was slated for trial.
He, however, said that though the matter was brought to his office and there had been appearances before for all the defendants in his absence, he only came into the matter fully the previous day.
“Having studied the file, I realise that we cannot appear for all the defendants but seven of the defendants only in order to avoid conflict of interest.
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“I have already discussed with the prosecution that we shall be seeking for adjournment and later arrange counsel for the other four defendants,” he said.
ICPC’s lawyer Ebenezer Shogunle did not oppose the application.
But Shogunle stated that he could only concede for an adjournment for a day since the matter continued the following day as their witnesses were available.
Isiyaku, who insisted he would not be present on Tuesday, said he had an election petition matter to attend to.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until November 15 and 16 for commencement of trial.
The judge, however, warned that the court would not entertain any question as to the admissibility of documents sought to be tendered until towards the end of the trial, in order to accelerate hearing in the matter.
In the 17 charges, ICPC alleged that the former JAMB boss conspired with three of his children (Oluwaseun Ojerinde, Olumide Ojerinde, and Adebayo Ojerinde) to sell off property worth $150,000 after it had been forfeited to the Federal Government by a court order.
