Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) unlawfully detained former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Dibu Ojerinde. The court has awarded a fine of N1 million against the ICPC and an additional N200,000 as the cost of instituting the lawsuit.
The court determined that there was a pending charge against Ojerinde related to conspiracy to sell forfeited property and possession of multiple identity cards with different names. However, the court emphasized that Ojerinde is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Justice Egwuatu ruled that the detention of Ojerinde without a detention order violated his fundamental rights. Although there was a lawful rearrest based on a search warrant obtained from the chief judge of the court, the ICPC should have obtained a detention warrant since immediate arraignment was not planned.
The court declared Ojerinde’s continued detention as unlawful, illegal, and a breach of his rights. The judge ordered the release of the former JAMB registrar or his immediate arraignment.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has fined the ICPC N1 million for unlawfully detaining Dibu Ojerinde, the former Registrar of JAMB. The court emphasized Ojerinde’s presumption of innocence and ruled that his continued detention without a detention order violated his fundamental rights. The judge ordered Ojerinde’s release or immediate arraignment. This ruling serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding the rights of individuals, even in the face of pending charges.
