The absence of lawyers for both the prosecution and defence on Wednesday stalled proceedings in the alleged N5.2bn fraud trial of a former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Dibu Ojerinde, at the Federal High Court in Abuja. When the matter was called before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, neither the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission nor Ojerinde was represented in court. The ICPC alleged that he committed multiple financial infractions while heading the National Examinations Council and JAMB, including abuse of office and fraudulent diversion of public funds to the tune of N5.2bn. The judge held that the elements of the offences had been identified by the prosecution’s witnesses, requiring the defendant to open his defence. The commission said the alleged offences contravened Sections 19, 24, 25(1)(a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006.
