The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, adjourned the trial of a former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof Dibu Ojerinde, till June 20.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu adjourned the matter to enable the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission to put its house in order following an oral application for an adjournment by ICPC counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Ojerinde’s lawyer, Eteya Ogana, told the court that a motion had been filed challenging the re-arrest of the ex-JAMB boss and seeking the court order for his release.
He alleged that his client was re-arrested by the anti-corruption commission without an arrest warrant.
But the judge could not find the process in the court record.
Admitting the mistake, the lawyer said instead of putting the charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/97/21 in the application, they erroneously wrote FHC/ABJ/CR/74/21, leading to a mix-up in the filing.
Responding, counsel for ICPC said there was another application filed by the defendant seeking his release before a sister judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, where Ojerinde is also standing trial alongside his children.
He said, “I think we should wait for that decision.”
Besides, he said even if the application was in the court file, it had been overtaken by event, adding that the commission had a warrant to effect Ojerinde’s re-arrest.
“I will want My Lord to inspect that warrant leading to his re-arrest.”
The ICPC lawyer, therefore, sought an adjournment to enable the commission to assemble its witnesses for the trial, hinting that three witnesses were left to testify before the court.
It would be recalled that the ICPC had on July 8, 2021, arraigned Ojerinde on 18 counts, bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of N5bn during his tenure as JAMB Registrar.
Ojerinde, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was later admitted to bail in the sum of N200m.
But the ICPC operatives, on January 26, re-arrested him on the court premises shortly after the hearing.
His re-arrest was said to be connected to fresh facts emerging from his ongoing trial and made by the 4th prosecution witness, the late Jimoh Olabisi, who died on April 16.
