Illegal degree mill: ICPC re-arraigns Prof Iornem, two others

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has re-arraigned Professor David Iornem and two others before Hon. Justice P.O. Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja on an amended charge bordering on several offences including certificate racketeering and money laundering.

The eleven-year-old case which began in 2013, commenced de novo due to the elevation of Hon. Justice A.R. Mohammed (JCA) to the Court of Appeal.

At the hearing of the case recently, the prosecution Counsel, David Nwaze informed the court that the Commission was ready to proceed with the re-arraignment of the Defendants and also commence trial with two witnesses who were present in court.

David Iornem pleaded not guilty to all the twelve count charges read to him while he pleaded the same also for Island Open University Inc. and Commonwealth University Inc., being the 2nd and 3rd Defendants respectively, on counts thirteen and fourteen of the charges.

Upon application by their Counsel for admission to bail on the same terms granted earlier before the former Judge, Justice A.R. Mohammed (JCA), the Court granted bail to the Defendants but tightened the conditions to include that as against one hundred thousand naira, the bail bond is made twenty Million Naira and also increased the sureties to two, in which one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below level fourteen but all other conditions remain the same.

In the course of the trial, prosecution counsel, David Nwaze, called the first witness, Mr Chidi Orji, a staff with the ICPC.

Mr. Orji in his testimony informed the court that he was part of the team that investigated the petition written to ICPC by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He emphasized that the petition came at a time when NUC partnered with ICPC to clamp down on illegal degree awarding universities and institutions in the country.

He further narrated his specific role as an agent provocateur who disguised himself as one seeking a degree for one of his superior’s wards under the pseudo name Jamilu Rabiu Sani and in the process paid the sum of $800 to the 3rd Defendant as an application fee and good faith fee.

He added that it was upon his return to convert the Bank teller to the 3rd Defendant’s receipt that eventually led to the arrest of a staff of the 3rd Defendant in a sting operation, as planned by the investigation team.

In the cross-examination, the Defendant counsel, Felix Tyokase while attempting to probe the source of the petition, maintained that the 2nd and the 3rd Defendants were not among the list of illegal degree awarding institutions submitted to ICPC by NUC at that time.

In response, the witness, Mr. Orji emphasised that although he was not sure whether or not the 2nd and the 3rd defendants were on that list, however, that a complaint could be received by ICPC to investigate any other institution not on the list.

More so, the NUC is not an omnipresent or omniscient organization with knowledge of all illegal degree-awarding universities and institutions in Nigeria at every point in time.

The matter has been adjourned till the 4th of March 2025 by Justice Lifu for the continuation of the trial.