Ex-JAMB registrar
ICPC ordered sum of N1m to ex-JAMB registrar. The Federal High Court in Abuja has fined the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission N1 million for unlawfully detaining former Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Registrar, Dibu Ojerinde.
In the judgement, Justice Obiora Egwuatu also imposed a N200,000 punishment on the ICPC as compensation for Ojerinde’s legal fees.
Justice Egwuatu ruled that there was an undisputed pending charge against Ojerinde for conspiracy to sell, sale of forfeited property, and multiple identity cards with different identities.
He did, however, maintain that Ojerinde is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
He held that, while there was a new charge against the professor and his arraignment before a sister court was hindered due to court vacation and non-sitting, holding him for the period of custody was a breach of his fundamental rights.
Furthermore, the justice ruled that, while the ex-JAMB boss’s arrest on January 26 was legal based on the search warrant received from the chief judge of the court, the anti-graft commission should have sought a detention warrant because Ojerinde would not be tried immediately.
Following that, he decided that Ojerinde’s continuing incarceration was illegal, unlawful, and a violation of his right to liberty.
As a result, he ordered that the beleaguered former JAMB registrar be released or arraigned as soon as possible.
However, the court determined that the petitioner was unable to prove that the ICPC violated his right to human dignity since he failed to prove, among other things, that he was tortured or coerced into slavery.
Justice Egwuatu, who ordered the ICPC to pay N1 million in damages for violating his fundamental right to liberty, also ordered the agency to pay him N200,000 in litigation costs.
He did not, however, provide the other requested reliefs.
Following his re-arrest on January 26 within the court premises and subsequent imprisonment, Ojerinde sought an order to enforce his fundamental rights in the FHC/ABJ/CS/179/2023 action filed before Justice Egwuatu.
The petitioner sought a perpetual injunction prohibiting the anti-graft agency and its personnel from arresting or detaining him in connection with the suit for which he was facing a criminal accusation, as well as the filing of an amended complaint.
Among other things, he sought an order directing the commission to pay him N500 million as exemplary damages for a violation of his rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, human dignity, and the presumption of innocence as enshrined in the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution of 1999 (as amended).
In an 18-count money-laundering charge, the ICPC had hauled the ex-JAMB chairman before Justice Egwuatu.
He was accused of stealing N5 billion in public funds.
Ojerinde was re-arrested on January 26 by anti-graft officers while walking to his car with one of his sons after Justice Egwuatu deferred further proceedings in the charge presented against him.