News
Ex-JAMB registrar, Ojerinde, seeks plea bargain in alleged N5bn fraud case
Prof Dibu Ojerinde, a former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has sought a plea bargain with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the alleged N5 billion fraud suit levelled against him.
This situation came to light on Tuesday during the trial commencement before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court, Abuja.
Ojerinde, through his new counsel, Ibrahim Ishyaku, SAN, pleaded with Justice Egwuatu to give him 24 hours to settle himself with ICPC through plea bargain instead of formal trial.
Ishyaku confirmed to the Court that the former JAMB Registrar preferred out-of-court settlement known as plea bargain to resolve the matter.
“My lord, our plea is that we (should) be given 24 hours to explore the possibility of plea bargain to resolve this matter and we ask that the trial be adjourned for the period to enable us come up with our terms of settlement,’ he said.
Read also: Court grants former JAMB registrar, Ojerinde, N200m bail
The lawyer to ICPC, Ebenezer Sogunle, did not object to the request.
He, however, said that the trial would proceed in case the plea bargain fails.
The judge fixed Wednesday for report of the plea bargain to be presented.
Ripples Nigeria had reported that the ICPC on July 8, 2021, arraigned Ojerinde on an 18-count charge bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of N5 billion.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
German Police bust alleged Nigerian scam dating ring
German authorities have arrested eleven individuals suspected of being members of a Nigerian mafia group involved in a large-scale dating...
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...