The long-running legal saga involving former Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, has hit yet another delay. The Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned his corruption trial to April 30, 2026, after the presiding judge was unavailable to sit. This latest adjournment adds to a growing list of delays that have stretched this case across multiple years, raising fresh questions about the pace of justice in Nigeria’s anti-corruption battles.
What Happened in Court
The case, filed as FHC/ABJ/CR/119/2023, was scheduled to be heard before Justice Mohammed Umar. However, proceedings could not commence because the judge was reportedly engaged in another official assignment. With no alternative arrangement, the court simply rescheduled the matter to April 30, 2026.
This kind of procedural delay — frustrating as it may seem to observers and victims — is unfortunately not uncommon in Nigeria’s federal court system, where a single judge’s absence can stall an entire case for weeks or months.
Who Is Professor Dibu Ojerinde?
Professor Dibu Ojerinde served as the Registrar of JAMB, the body responsible for conducting university entrance examinations across Nigeria. He also previously headed the National Examinations Council (NECO). Both roles gave him enormous control over public funds allocated to two of Nigeria’s most critical educational institutions.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) accused him of using that control to divert billions of naira in public funds for personal gain — enriching himself, his family, and his associated companies in the process.
The Defendants
Professor Ojerinde is not standing trial alone. The list of defendants in this case is notably extensive, and includes:
Family Members:
- Mary Ojerinde
- Olumide Ojerinde
- Adebayo Ojerinde
- Oluwaseun Ojerinde
Corporate Entities Linked to Ojerinde:
- Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Limited
- Cheng Marbles Limited
- Sapati International Schools Limited
- Trillium Learning Centre Limited
- Standout Institutes Limited
- Esli Perfect Security Printers Limited
The inclusion of four of his children and six business entities in the prosecution underscores the ICPC’s argument that the alleged fraud was systematic and involved deliberate efforts to launder and conceal public funds through family and business networks.
Two Separate Cases, One Man
What makes this matter even more significant is that Prof. Ojerinde is facing not one, but two separate criminal cases relating to his alleged financial misconduct.
The first is the case currently before Justice Mohammed Umar (FHC/ABJ/CR/119/2023), which involves his activities while heading JAMB and was filed in 2023.
The second is an 18-count charge before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, filed as far back as July 2021, covering alleged diversion of public funds during his tenure at both NECO and JAMB. In this second case, ICPC accused him of diverting N5.2 billion in public funds, abuse of office, and corruptly conferring advantages upon himself.
The second case has had its own turbulent history. In June 2025, Justice Egwuatu dismissed Ojerinde’s no-case submission, ruling that he indeed had a case to answer and ordering him to open his defence. However, when the defence was scheduled to begin on July 16, 2025, both the prosecution and defence counsel instead informed the court that they had resumed out-of-court settlement talks. The case has since stalled. In a particularly telling development, on January 28, 2026, all legal teams — and even the defendant himself — were absent from court, prompting Justice Egwuatu to reschedule that matter to March 25, 2026.
The Settlement Question
One of the most closely watched dimensions of this case is the on-again, off-again prospect of an out-of-court settlement. As far back as February 2022, Prof. Ojerinde attempted a plea bargain with the ICPC, but those negotiations ultimately collapsed. Then in July 2025, both parties again signalled renewed interest in settling the N5.2 billion dispute administratively — only for progress to stall once more.
For many Nigerians, the repeated flirtation with settlement raises uncomfortable questions. Anti-corruption advocates have long warned that plea bargain arrangements in high-profile financial crime cases can undermine the deterrent value of prosecution, especially when powerful individuals appear to use settlement talks as a delaying tactic to forestall accountability.
The ICPC, for its part, has not publicly abandoned the prosecution.
Asset Seizures Already Underway
Even as the trials drag on, the ICPC has not been entirely idle. As far back as 2020, the commission secured a court order for the confiscation of various assets traced to Professor Ojerinde. These reportedly include schools, filling stations, and residential properties — assets that, according to the ICPC, were acquired through proceeds of the alleged fraud.
This makes the ongoing trials as much about establishing criminal culpability as about determining the final fate of those confiscated assets.
Why This Case Matters
Beyond the headlines and court dates, the Ojerinde case speaks to a broader challenge facing Nigeria: the integrity of institutions that manage education and public funds at scale. JAMB and NECO together affect millions of Nigerian students every year — young people whose futures depend on the fair and efficient administration of these bodies. Allegations that billions of naira meant for these institutions were diverted strike at the heart of Nigeria’s educational foundation.
The case also puts a spotlight on accountability structures around public officials who head sensitive agencies. If proven, the alleged fraud would represent one of the most brazen abuses of public trust in Nigeria’s examination sector.
What Happens Next
For now, all eyes turn to April 30, 2026, when the case before Justice Mohammed Umar is expected to resume. Meanwhile, the second case before Justice Egwuatu is due for a status update on March 25, 2026, where the court will determine whether the settlement talks have progressed or whether the trial will finally move forward.
Whether justice is ultimately served in a courtroom or through a negotiated settlement remains to be seen. But for millions of Nigerians who have watched this case unfold over years, the hope is simple: that accountability, whichever form it takes, is not indefinitely deferred.
This article is based on reporting from Premium Times, Gazette Nigeria, The Guild, and other credible Nigerian news sources.