The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until April 30 the trial of Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, on charges of official corruption and abuse of office, following the presiding judge’s absence on Wednesday.
The case, which is before Justice Mohammed Umar, could not proceed because the judge was engaged in another official assignment, according to information made available at the court.
Ojerinde is being prosecuted alongside four of his children Mary Ojerinde, Olumide Ojerinde, Adebayo Ojerinde, and Oluwaseun Ojerinde among other defendants listed in the charge.
Also joined as defendants are six companies allegedly linked to the former examination chief: Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Limited, Cheng Marbles Limited, Sapati International Schools Limited, Trillium Learning Centre Limited, Standout Institutes Limited, and Esli Perfect Security Printers Limited.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/119/2023, is one of several criminal charges filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission against the ex-JAMB boss, and forms part of a broader investigation into alleged financial misconduct during his tenure at two of Nigeria’s key examination bodies.
Ojerinde served as Registrar and Chief Executive of the National Examinations Council between 1999 and 2010 before his appointment to head JAMB, where he remained until 2016. His tenure at both institutions was marked by significant operational changes, expansion in candidate registration, and increased revenue generation, but has since come under intense scrutiny over allegations of financial impropriety.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, established by an Act of the National Assembly in 2000 and empowered to investigate and prosecute corruption cases involving public officials, has been pursuing multiple cases against Ojerinde in connection with his management of funds at NECO and JAMB.
Beyond the case adjourned on Wednesday, Ojerinde is also facing a separate 18-count charge involving the alleged diversion of public funds during his time as registrar of NECO and as JAMB’s chief executive. That case is pending before a sister court within the Federal High Court complex in Abuja, presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, with a hearing scheduled for March 25, 2026.
The charges against Ojerinde represent one of the most high-profile corruption prosecutions involving a former head of a major Nigerian examination body. JAMB and NECO are critical institutions in Nigeria’s educational sector, responsible for conducting entrance examinations and secondary school certification exams for millions of candidates annually.
JAMB, established in 1978, administers the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, which serves as the primary gateway for admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria. NECO, created in 1999, conducts the Senior School Certificate Examination as an alternative to the West African Examinations Council’s exam, and has since become a key player in Nigeria’s examination landscape.
During Ojerinde’s tenure at both organisations, significant reforms were introduced, including the transition to computer-based testing at JAMB and expansion of examination centres nationwide. However, allegations of financial mismanagement and diversion of funds have overshadowed those achievements, leading to his arrest and subsequent prosecution.
The involvement of Ojerinde’s children and companies allegedly linked to him in the charges suggests that prosecutors are pursuing a case that extends beyond personal enrichment to potential family interests and corporate entities that may have benefited from proceeds of alleged corruption.
The inclusion of multiple companies spanning sectors such as petroleum, construction, education, and printing indicates the breadth of business interests allegedly connected to the former registrar, and raises questions about how funds under his control may have been channelled into private ventures.
Court adjournments due to judges’ absence for official duties are not uncommon in Nigeria’s judicial system, where judges often have multiple responsibilities including participation in judicial conferences, training programmes, and administrative assignments. However, such delays contribute to prolonged litigation timelines, particularly in high-profile corruption cases that attract significant public interest.
The ICPC has over the years intensified its efforts to prosecute corruption cases involving public officials, with mixed results in securing convictions. The commission’s mandate includes investigating cases of corruption, prosecuting offenders, and recovering proceeds of corruption, but it has faced challenges including inadequate funding, lengthy court processes, and difficulties in securing convictions in complex financial crimes.
Legal observers have noted that corruption cases involving former heads of government agencies often involve intricate financial transactions, multiple defendants, and voluminous documentary evidence, all of which contribute to protracted trials. Ojerinde’s case is no exception, with multiple defendants, corporate entities, and overlapping charges spread across different courts.
