Court remands man over alleged impersonation of JAMB registrar

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded Arinze Nwogba in prison over alleged impersonation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Segun Aina.

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Mr Aina, a professor of computer engineering, was appointed JAMB registrar by President Bola Tinubu in May, succeeding Is-haq Oloyede, who served as registrar for 10 years.

Judge Salim Ibrahim ordered defendant Mr Nwogba’s remand in Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja on Friday, pending ruling on the defendant’s bail application.

The judge fixed 7 October for the ruling and adjourned the case until 19 October for commencement of trial.

The Nigerian police charged Mr Nwogba with six counts, accusing the adefendant and others still at large of impersonating Mr Aina and used his name and photograph on WhatsApp and Truecaller.

The prosecution alleged that Mr Nwogba used telephone number 08139433155 to impersonate the JAMB registrar with the intention of gaining financial advantage.

The alleged offences contravene Section 22(3)(a), (b) and (4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.

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But the defendant denied the charges, pleading not guilty.

Bail application

After the defendant entered his plea, police lawyer Nonso Eleodimuo asked the court to fix a date for trial.

Defence lawyer Christian Ejike did not oppose the request for a trial date but informed the court that he had filed a bail application on 23 September.

Mr Ejike said the prosecution had been served and had responded to the bail application.

Mr Eleodimuo confirmed receipt of the application and told the court that the prosecution had filed and served a counter-affidavit dated 2 October.

After Mr Ejike moved the bail application, he urged the court to grant Mr Nwogba bail on liberal terms. But Mr Eleodimuo urged the court to dismiss the application.

Gregory Woje, a clerk at the Directorate of Legal Services, Force Headquarters, Abuja, who swore to the counter-affidavt filed in opposition to the bail application that the police, described the major planks of the defendant’s application as speculative and extraneous to the case.

He told the court that if granted bail, Mr Nwogba was likely to evade justice and might not appear for trial.

“Assuming the court is minded to grant bail, it is for the court to do so considering the punishment upon conviction and upon terms that will ensure the defendant/applicant attend his trial,” Mr Woje wrote.

He also stated that the conditions of bail were within the discretion of the court and not for the defendant to determine.

He said the police were ready “to prosecute the case expeditiously as all the exhibits and witnesses are ready for the trial.”

He further argued that if Mr Nwogba was granted bail and absconded, it would affect the proceedings and prejudice the prosecution.

Alleged impersonation

According to the case summary filed by the prosecution, the charges stemmed from the JAMB registrar’s petition to the Inspector-General of Police.

Mr Aina reported in the petition suspicions activities of suspected criminal gangs who allegedly registered and used telephone number 08139433155 as well as his name and photographs without his knowledge or authority.

The police alleged that the suspects used the registrar’s identity to deceive members of the public.

They said the suspects also published the telephone number on LinkedIn and directed members of the public to contact them through WhatsApp.

According to the police, investigators subsequently engaged the suspects through the WhatsApp number which had Mr Aina’s image as the profile picture. They also said the Truecaller profile of the number had Mr Aina’s image. The Whatsapp number, according to the police, was advertised on LinkedIn as the suspects offered unsuspecting members of the public phoney contracts.

The prosecution alleged that the suspect claimed to have obtained approval from the Minister of Education for the supply of 200 HP laptops as part of the ministry’s digitisation programme.

The suspect also provided the contact of a purported personal assistant, identified as Dr Stephen Igwe, who would allegedly handle arrangements for the contract, the police said.

The prosecution alleged that the suspect directed the payment of N900,000 as a “handshake” and demanded another N3 million for the Permanent Secretary and Minister of Education.

It also alleged that an Access Bank account bearing the name Edeh Chimezie Benedict was provided for the payment.

But the prosecution said Mr Nwogba, whose operational name was allegedly Dr Stephen Igwe, was subsequently arrested in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

According to the police, Mr Nwogba told investigators that the account details belonged to his late nephew, who died in April 2026 and was buried on 31 July.

The police also alleged that he admitted forwarding the account details to his cousin, Nnabuife Nwekpa of Onitsha, Anambra State, for use in the alleged fraudulent activity.

The police said Mr Nwekpa, whom they identified as the alleged fake JAMB registrar, was still at large and that efforts were ongoing to arrest him.

Judge Ibrahim, after hearing the arguments on the bail application, fixed 7 October for ruling and 19 October for commencement of trial.