37years old CBT centre operator arraigned for alleged fraud in Lagos

Thirty seven year-old Computer Based Test (CBT) centre operator, Emeka Anugwo is standing trial before an Igbosere magistrate court for allegedly defrauding innocent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates of some money for various services including change of their ages, courses, institutions and to generate Remitter Code.
   
The offence, according to police prosecutor, Okete Ejime contravened Sections 323 and 376(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.Anugwo, owner of a CBT centre located on 7, Ojora Road, Ikoyi, beside the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Lagos office was arraigned on a two-count charge of fraud and impersonation however pleaded not guilty and was granted N100, 000 bail by Magistrate O. G. Oghre

The prosecutor had told the court that the accused committed the offences between May 1 and 30, by deceiving about 70 UTME candidates collecting between N3, 000 and N3, 500 from each of them for various fraudulent services.

Ejime said the accused had collected the money impersonating JAMB officials.Senior officers of the examination body, namely Mr. Felix ibeku, an Assistant Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Akin Omiyera, a Senior Executive Officer, and Mr. Ezekiel Adewunmi, who represented the JAMB Coordinator in Lagos, Mr. Sunday Aladegbaye. were at the Igbosere Magistrate Court for the matter.

However, when the matter came up for hearing, the Magistrate said she would prefer to have Aladegbaye and his subordinate, Mr. Badaru Jubril, who had reported the case to the police leading to Anugwo’s arrest.

The magistrate subsequently adjourned the matter till July 27. Speaking on the trial, the Head of Press and Public Relations of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, reiterated the body’s commitment to protecting the sanctity and dignity of its examinations stressing that  all those perpetrating fraud would be brought to book.

He said; “We are committed to restore the dignity of JAMB and its examinations, and this trial is only to prove to others that JAMB is out to sanitise the system. Recently, people were asking us that those CBT centres that were suspended for irregularities what did we do to them? This is to tell them that this is what we will do. Many will go to jail I am sure.”