Professor Adedibu Ojerinde, a former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) have failed to agree to terms of a plea bargain in the former’s alleged N5 billion fraud case.
Both parties, on Tuesday, had told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that they would settle the matter amicably.
Reports say while the embattled Professor agreed to surrender all assets acquired while serving government, the ICPC insisted that it would take over all assets traced to him.
Some of the assets include several schools, companies and cash in banks standing in the name of the defendant.
ICPC’S lawyer, Ebenezer Sogunle, confirmed to Justice Obiora Egwuatu on Wednesday that the agreement had collapsed and that the commission is ready to proceed with the trial.
Counsel to the Ojerinde, Mr Ibrahim Ishyaku, SAN, confirmed the development and that his client was ready to stand trial on the charges.
The ICPC had on July 8, 2021, arraigned the former JAMB Registrar on an 18-count charge bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of over N900 million.
He was said to have committed the offence during his tenure as Registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO) and JAMB.
Ojerinde however pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was later admitted to bail in the sum of N200 million.
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