A Federal High Court in Abuja has fined the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) N1 million for the wrongful imprisonment of Dibu Ojerinde, former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
In his judgement, Justice Obiora Egwuatu also fined the ICPC N200,000 to compensate Ojerinde for the expense of filing the claim.
According to report, the courts ruled that even though there was an ongoing case of conspiracy and several identity cards with different names against Ojerinde, holding him was illegal.
Ex-JAMB Registrar Arrested By ICPC Over N900m Fraud
Justice Egwuatu ruled that the ex-JAMB chairman was facing a pending charge of conspiracy to sell, sale of confiscated property, and duplicate identity cards with different names against Ojerinde, but he is presumed to be innocent until he has been proven guilty.
Justice Egwuatu also ruled that, while there was a new charge against the professor and his arraignment before a sister court was thwarted due to court vacation and non-sitting, detaining him for the duration of custody was a violation of his fundamental rights.
He stated that while the rearrest of Ojerinde on January 26 was legal based on the search warrant acquired from the court’s top judge, keeping him in detention is illegal because there is no order of detention against him.
He explained that keeping him without a detention order for the duration of his incarceration was a breach of his fundamental rights.
UPDATE: Ex-JAMB Registrar, Dibu Ojerinde Arrested By ICPC
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.
In addition, the former JAMB boss sought a perpetual injunction prohibiting the anti-graft agency and its personnel from arresting or detaining him in connection with the litigation for which he was facing a criminal charge, or from filing an amended charge.
Among other things, he requested an order instructing the commission to pay him N500 million as exemplary damages for a violation of his constitutional rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, human dignity, and the presumption of innocence as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
Remember that the ICPC accused Ojerinde of misappropriating N5 billion in public monies.
July 6 : ICPC To Arraign Ex-JAMB Registrar, Ojerinde Over Alleged Fraud
He was re-arrested on January 26 by anti-graft commission investigators while walking to his car with one of his sons after Justice Egwuatu deferred further proceedings in the accusation presented against him.
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