A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted N50m bail to Arinze Nwogba, who is facing trial for allegedly impersonating the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Segun Aina, to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
Justice Salim Ibrahim granted Nwogba bail on Thursday with two sureties in like sum, ruling that the alleged offences were bailable.
The court, however, ordered that one of the sureties must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 14, while both sureties must reside in the Federal Capital Territory.
One of them must reside in either Asokoro, Maitama or Guzape.
The judge also ordered the sureties to submit affidavits of means and tax clearance certificates for the past two years, while Nwogba and the sureties were directed to submit photocopies of their national identification slips.
Justice Ibrahim directed the court registrar to verify the bail documents and issue a report before the prosecution also signs off on them.
Nwogba will remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
The court adjourned the case until October 19 for the commencement of trial.
The Inspector-General of Police is prosecuting Nwogba in a six-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/612/2026.
According to the prosecution, Nwogba and other suspects currently at large allegedly impersonated Aina by using his photograph on WhatsApp and Truecaller to deceive members of the public.
The police alleged that the suspects also published the telephone number, 08139433155, on LinkedIn and directed potential victims to contact them through WhatsApp.
The alleged fraudsters reportedly posed as the JAMB Registrar and claimed they had secured approval from the Federal Ministry of Education to supply 200 HP laptops as part of a digitisation programme.
In one of the alleged conversations, the impersonator reportedly told a victim that the ministry had approved the supply of the laptops.
The suspect allegedly introduced another person, identified as Dr Stephen Igwe, as his personal assistant, who would handle arrangements for the purported contract.
The police further alleged that the suspects demanded N900,000 as an initial payment, describing it as money to “handshake” officials, while another N3 million was allegedly demanded for the Permanent Secretary and Minister of Education.
An Access Bank account belonging to Edeh Chimezie Benedict was allegedly provided for the payment.
The prosecution said the investigation began after Aina petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over the fraudulent use of his identity and telephone number.
The police said its investigators subsequently engaged the alleged fraudsters through the advertised WhatsApp number.
Nwogba was later arrested in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, where investigators allegedly found that he operated under the name “Dr Stephen Igwe.”
According to the prosecution, Nwogba told investigators that the account details allegedly used in the fraud belonged to his late nephew, who died in April 2026 and was buried on July 31.
He allegedly admitted forwarding the account details to his cousin, identified as Nnabuiife Nwekpa, from Onitsha, Anambra State.
The police said Nwekpa, whom it described as the alleged fake JAMB Registrar, remains at large.
The prosecution said efforts were ongoing to arrest him.
