The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, granted bail to the former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Adedibu Ojerinde, to the tune of N200million.
He was on Tuesday, remanded Ojerinde in correctional centre after the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, arraigned him on an 18-count criminal charge bordering on alleged N900million fraud.
Ojerinde was alleged of committing multiple frauds when he head the office.
At the court today the former JAMB boss who pleaded not guilty to the charge, persuaded the court to release him on bail pending the determination of the charge against him.
Placing reliance on Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, and Section 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Ojerinde’s lawyer, Peter Olorunnishola, SAN, argued that the charge against his client contained bailable offences.
He equally drew the attention of the court to the fact that his client was previously granted administrative bail by the ICPC. The Prosecution counsel, Mr. Ebenezer Shogunle, however, opposed the bail application.
Shogunle told the court that the Defendant posed a flight risk, alleging that he breached the administrative bail conditions that was granted to him by the ICPC.
More so, the Prosecution alleged that contrary to one of the administrative bail conditions, the defendant, frustrated the investigation process when he refused to make his family members available for interrogation.
The ICPC lawyer told the court that at the time when some persons were invited for questioning, Ojerinde quickly agreed to a plea bargain in a bid to stall the investigation. Alleging that the defendant was likely to intimidate some of the witnesses billed to testify in the matter, ICPC, prayed the court to deny him bail.
However, in his ruling, trial Justice Obiora Egwuatu said he was minded to accede to the bail request.
The trial Judge held that the ICPC failed to adduce any evidence to back its claim that the defendant either violated his administrative bail conditions or interfered with the investigation process.
Consequently, he granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200m with two sureties in the like sum.
According to the court, “The sureties must be resident in Abuja, provide an acceptable means of identification and evidence of tax payment for three years.
“One of the sureties shall be a professor in a federal university, provide documented evidence of professorship, letter of appointment, and staff identity card.
“Second surety shall be a property owner in the federal capital territory (FCT) of Abuja. The building must be covered with a certificate of occupancy which will be deposited with the registrar of this court.
“The residences of the sureties shall be verified, pictures of the residences showing the street name and number shall be exhibited”, it held.
The court further ordered the defendant to surrender his international passport and not travel out of the country without permission.
The matter was subsequently adjourned till July 22 for trial
