...
IgbereTV reports that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has declared Okoi Obono-Obla, former chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) wanted.
ICPC said the action was due to Obono-Obla’s repeated failure to appear before it to answer questions bordering on allegations of fraud and corruption.
Recall that in August, Obono-Obla was suspended in by President Muhammadu Buhari, who stated that the suspension would be in force till the conclusion of the investigation of the ICPC.
ICPC said in a statement on Tuesday, that Obono-Obla had refused to honour its invitation over a series of allegations levelled against him.
The statement reads: “The Commission is in receipt of petitions accusing him of abuse of office, falsification of admission records, living above his income and collection of gratification from suspects under his investigation.”
The suspended chairman is also facing allegations of working outside the guidelines governing the panel by investigating unauthorized petitions and prosecuting suspects without recourse to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
Series of investigations have been conducted by ICPC on the allegations with preliminary findings showing that Mr. Obono-Obla has violated some provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and extant laws of Nigeria.
ICPC said it had established that Obono-Obla left the country in August and had not returned since then. Consequently, ICPC had extended several invitations to him, which he had failed to honour without giving any reason.
ICPC has made attempts to track and make him appear before the Commission but failed. Consequently, ICPC contacted other law enforcement agencies for assistance concerning his whereabouts.
It was Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) that gave a little information about him. NIS said it has records to show that Obono-Obla had travelled out of country to an undisclosed place on 17th August, 2019, through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja and has not returned since then.
