The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, on Friday stalled the arraignment of a former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Professor Lawrence Adedibu Ojerinde, on fresh corruption charges.
Ojerinde’s planned arraignment at the Federal High Court in Abuja, along with his three sons and a daughter-in-law, was aborted over the failure of the anti-corruption agency to serve the criminal charges on his children as required by law.
At Friday’s proceedings, only Ojerinde was in court while his three sons, Olumide Abiodun Ojerinde, Adedayo Ojerinde and Oluwaseun Adeniyi Ojerinde and daughter-in-law, Mary Funmilola Ojerinde were absent.
The Court was shocked when ICPC lawyer, Mr Henry Emore, informed Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo that he had not served the children of the former JAMB Registrar with the charges as required by law.
He subsequently applied for an adjournment to enable him to put his house in order.
In the bid to rescue him, Justice Ekwo ordered that the criminal charges be served on Ojerinde’s children in the open court through their counsel, Mr Ajibola Bello, which was promptly carried out.
Justice Ekwo subsequently fixed April 19 for arraignment with a warning that there would be consequences should Ojerinde’s children refuse to appear in court.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, filed 17 counts of criminal charges against the defendants on behalf of the Federal Government.
Apart from Ojerinde’s children, other defendants in the charge are Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Ltd, Cheng Marbles Ltd, Sapati International Schools Ltd, Trillium Learning Centre Ltd, Standout Institutes Ltd and Esli Perfect Security Printers Ltd.
