Alleged N5.2bn Fraud: Court Hearing Stalls as ICPC, Ex-JAMB Registrar’s Lawyers Fail to Appear

Alleged N5.2bn Fraud: Court Hearing Stalls as ICPC, Ex-JAMB Registrar’s Lawyers Fail to Appear

Abuja, Nigeria — January 28, 2026: Proceedings in the high-profile alleged N5.2bn fraud case involving a former Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, were on Wednesday stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja after lawyers representing both the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the defendant failed to appear in court.

The matter, scheduled for hearing before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, could not proceed when the case was called and neither the prosecution nor the defence was represented. The judge subsequently adjourned the case to March 25, 2026, directing that fresh hearing notices be issued to all parties to ensure their presence on the next adjourned date.

The stalled sitting comes amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding earlier out-of-court settlement talks between the ICPC and the defence. In previous hearings, both parties had informed the court of negotiations aimed at resolving the matter administratively, but no formal update was provided during the latest court session due to the absence of counsel.

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Prof. Ojerinde, a former head of both JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO), is standing trial on an 18-count charge bordering on abuse of office, corruption and fraudulent diversion of public funds amounting to N5.2bn. The ICPC alleges that the offences were committed during his tenure at the examination bodies, in violation of provisions of the ICPC Act and other relevant anti-corruption laws.

The former JAMB registrar has consistently pleaded not guilty to all charges. In an earlier ruling, the court dismissed a no-case submission filed by the defence, holding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case and ordering the defendant to open his defence.

Legal observers say the repeated adjournments and procedural delays in the case highlight broader concerns about the pace of high-profile corruption trials in Nigeria, particularly cases involving senior public officials and large sums of public money.

With the matter now adjourned, attention will shift to whether the ICPC and the defence will revive settlement talks or allow the trial to proceed fully when the case resumes in March.

Alleged N5.2bn Fraud: Court Hearing Stalls as ICPC, Ex-JAMB Registrar’s Lawyers Fail to Appear