Dibu Ojerinde is engaging in a legal battle with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Ojerinde is a former registrar of the Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB),
He is dragging the ICPC to court for unlawful arrest.
The Investigation
The former JAMB boss has been under investigation by the anti-corruption agency since 2020.
In April 2020, the ICPC secured an interim forfeiture of some of Ojerinde’s assets.
These assets were said to be proceeds of crime.
In March 2021, Ojerinde was arrested by the ICPC for allegedly misappropriating 900 million Naira.
On July 6, 2021, he was in court on an 18-count charge, bordering on alleged misappropriation of funds to the tune of 5.2 billion Naira while in office.
On January 2023, Ojerinde was re-arrested by the ICPC in Abuja.
He was nabbed at the premises of a Federal High Court.
On February 15, ICPC lawyer, Ebenezer Shogunle, notified the court that Ojerinde was re-arrested.
The Disagreement
Shogunle says Ojerinde was arrested on suspicion that he might have committed some other offences that might relate to the present charges before the court.
He says the agency “obtained a warrant from the court dated December 6, 2022” for the ex-JAMB registrar’s re-arrest.
Shogunle did not mention the judge from whom the warrant was obtained.
However, he says the fresh investigation exercise was about 90% complete.
Eteya Ogana, Ojerinde’s lawyer, disagreed with Shogunle on his client’s re-arrest.
Ogana says “on the last adjourned date after the proceeding, the operatives of the ICPC intercepted them and took Ojerinde away under the guise that they were inviting him for an explanation”.
The lawyer claims his client had been in the commission’s custody since the re-arrest.
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He says: “Despite that, Ojerinde did not breach the bail terms, they were not served with the warrant before he was re-arrested”.
The lawyer argues that if there were uncovered evidence against his client, ICPC was at liberty to file additional proof of evidence and not to re-arrest him.
Fundamental Rights
Following his arrest, Ojerinde filed a suit marked against the ICPC before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He sought an order to enforce his fundamental rights, following his re-arrest on January 26 and his subsequent detention.
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While Ojerinde’s suit was adjourned until May 4 for the mention, his trial was fixed for the same date for hearing continuation.
