The Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board [JAMB], Professor Ishaq Oloyede recently appeared before Justice A. R. Mohammed to testify in the case against an alleged fraudster, David Iornem, who is standing trial for allegedly defrauding various people of N113, 590, 000.
Oloyede who appeared before Justice Mohammed of the Federal High Court, 8, Maitama, Abuja said that he had been approached by the accused to pay $11,550 for the award of Professional Doctorate Degree of Commonwealth University of Belize.He told the court further that he contacted the National Universities Commission (NUC) to verify the claim which turned out to be fraudulent.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in a 14-count charge, had arraigned Iornem for allegedly conspiring with one Bruce Ducan to publish an advertisement that offers admission to applicants into Commonwealth University, Belize which was neither accredited nor authorized thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 8(a) and Section (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The charge sheet reads in part, “That you, David Iornem, on about 4th day of July, 2012 at Abuja, by false pretense and with intent to defraud, attempted to induce one Professor Ishaq Oloyede to pay you a total sum of $11, 550 for the award of academic doctorate degrees of Commonwealth University, Belize which you falsely represented to be a foreign university based in Belize when you know that the said Commonwealth University Belize, is neither accredited nor authorized to operate as a university in Belize and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (1)(a)(ii) and punishable under Section 15 (2)of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.
‘That you, David Iornem, between July to December 2012, and on various dates thereafter in Abuja, transferred the sum of $307, 000 derived from racketeering in the award of academic and honorary degrees of Commonwealth University, Belize which you falsely represented to be a foreign university based in Belize to acquire a two-bedroom flat at No. 9 Oxford Close, London, with the intention to disguise the illicit origin of the funds and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (1)(a)(ii) and punishable under Section 15 (2)of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.”
At the end of Professor Oloyede’s testimony, the trial judge adjourned the matter to a future date to be communicated to all parties to the case due to the on-coming court vacation.
