A Former Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, has been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for allegedly misappropriating N900 million.
Ojerinde, who was arrested on March 15 in Abuja by operatives of the ICPC, is alleged to have committed multiple frauds while heading JAMB and the National Examination Council, NECO.
The arrest of the Registrar comes almost 2 years after the Public Complaints Commission, PCC, had issued a 14 day ultimatum to the JAMB to investigate administrative injustice and malpractices occurring in the system.
According to a statement by spokesperson for ICPC, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, the former Registrar has been in custody.
“Ojerinde 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.
“Similar contracts were allegedly awarded to Solid Figures Limited, Holywalk Limited and other companies for various sums without any trace of executions.
“Prof. Ojerinde is being held on a remand warrant and will soon be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigation,” the statement said.
