Former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Dibu Ojerinde, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have agreed to pursue an out-of-court settlement in the ₦5.2 billion fraud case.
Ojerinde’s counsel, Eteya Ogana, informed Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja of the development shortly after the case was called.
Ogana noted that although the case was scheduled for the defence to open its arguments, both parties were now exploring the possibility of resolving the matter administratively.
“In light of this, we are requesting a long adjournment until after the court vacation to enable us report on the progress,” he said.
Counsel for the ICPC, Lesie Iheduru, confirmed the reconciliation efforts, stating that discussions between both sides were ongoing.
Following the update, Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter to 20 October 2025 for either a report of settlement or for the defence to open its case.
Ojerinde had earlier sought a plea bargain in February 2022, but those negotiations fell through.
He was arraigned in July 2021 on an 18-count charge brought by the ICPC, involving corruption and fraud during his tenure at both JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO). He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
On 10 June 2025, Justice Egwuatu dismissed a no-case submission filed by Ojerinde’s legal team, which argued that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case. The judge held that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to warrant a defence and ordered Ojerinde to enter his case.
According to the ICPC, Ojerinde committed multiple frauds amounting to ₦5.2 billion by abusing his office and diverting public funds while serving as registrar of NECO and JAMB.
The prosecution submitted evidence that accused him of conferring corrupt advantages upon himself, in violation of several provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006.