The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has re-arraigned Prof David Iornem and two organisations on amended charges involving certificate racketeering and money laundering.
Iornem was accused of defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians by offering fraudulent admissions and certificates through Island Open University Inc. and Commonwealth University Inc., which are also named as co-defendants in the case.
Although the trial initially began in 2013, it was restarted following the elevation of Justice A.R. Mohammed to the Court of Appeal.
The case has now been reassigned to Justice P.O. Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In a statement on Wednesday, ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, revealed that during a recent hearing, the prosecution counsel, David Nwaze, informed the court of the commission’s readiness to proceed with the re-arraignment and trial.
He added that two witnesses were present and prepared to testify.
Bakare said during the hearing, Iornem pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts preferred against him, adding that the professor also entered not-guilty pleas on behalf of the second and third defendants, for additional counts 13 and 14.
Count one of the amended charges read, “That you, David Iornem between January 1 to December 31, 2012, and on various dates thereafter, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, conspired with one Bruce Robert Duncan, and other persons at large to obtain money for yourselves by means of an advertisement published by you on the internet in which you offered admission to whosoever would apply to you as a Consultant/Academic Adviser for admission into Commonwealth University Belize which you falsely represented to be a foreign university based in Belize, when you knew that the said Commonwealth University Belize is neither accredited nor authorised to operate as a university in Belize, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) and Section 1 (1)(a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006,” among other counts.
Bakare stated that the defence counsel applied for the defendants to be granted bail under the same terms previously set by the former judge.
He, however, said the court approved bail with stricter conditions.
“The bail bond was raised from ₦100,000 to ₦20 million, and the number of sureties increased to two. Additionally, one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below Level 14, while all other original conditions remained unchanged,” the statement added.
In the course of the trial, Bakare said the prosecution counsel called the first witness, Mr Chidi Orji, a staff with the ICPC.
He said Orji, in his testimony, informed the court that he was part of the team that investigated the petition written to the commission by the National Universities Commission.
“He emphasised that the petition came at a time when the NUC partnered with the 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,” Bakare stated, among others.
Bakare said the matter was adjourned till March 4, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
