Ex-Presidential Aide, Obla docked by ICPC over Certificate Forgery, N19.9m Fraud

Date:

The former Chairman of the disbanded Special Presidential Investigation
Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla,
has been arraigned in court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on allegation of offences
bordering on fraud.

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Obono-Obla, who was arraigned before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, of the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, for allegedly forging
an O’ Level certificate, was also charged alongside his Special Adviser
on Protocol, Aliyu Ibrahim and the Managing Director of ABR Global
Petroleum Resources Limited, Daniel Omughele, for allegation of
diverting N19.9 million meant for the furnishing of SPIP’s office.

ICPC in a 10-count charge accused the former SPIP boss of knowingly
presenting a fake result with a credit pass in English Literature to the
University of Jos, with which he secured admission to read Law, contrary
to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act,
2000 and punishable under the same section.

The Commission alleged that while Obono-Obla did not seat for the
Ordinary Level General Certificate Examination (GCE) in English
Literature in 1982, he presented a result of the same GCE to the
University of Jos, in 1985, containing Credit 6 from Mary Knoll College,
Ogoja. An offence which is contrary to Section 363 and punishable under
Section 364 of the Penal Code Act 532, Vol. 4 Laws of the Federation of
Nigeria, 2004.

The charge further revealed that Obono-Obla, Aliyu Ibrahim and Daniel
Omughele, in July, 2018, diverted N18.2 million out of N19.9 million
released to SPIP for office furniture by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance
Cooperation (NDIC).

Ibrahim was accused of receiving the money from six contractors who had
won bids for the office furnishing contrary to Section 26 (c)(i) of the
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable
under Section 68 of the same Act.

They all pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them. The
counsel, Paul Irokore (SAN), A. C. Ozokwo and Emmanuel Okere for
Obono-Obla, respectively prayed the court to grant them bail in liberal
terms.

Counsel to ICPC, Samuel Ipinlaye, who did not oppose the bail however
prayed the court to grant them bail on such conditions that will ensure
their attendance in court for trial.

The trial Judge, Adeniyi, while ruling on the bail applications granted
them bail in the sum of N10 million each and a surety in like sum.

The court further ruled that the surety must be directors in the
employment of the federal government or the Federal Capital Development
Authority (FCDA).

The accused were also to submit their international passports with the
senior Registrar of the Court.

It would be recalled that Mr. Obono-Obla was arrested by ICPC in March
2020 after being declared wanted by the Commission in October 2019.

Obono-Obla had also challenged the powers of ICPC to investigate
allegations of certificate forgery leveled against him but this was
dismissed by the courts in May 2020.

The case was adjourned to 17th, 18th and 19th March for commencement of
trial.

Signed: Mrs. Azuka C. Ogugua
Spokesperson for the Commission

Naija247news
Naija247newshttps://www.naija247news.com/
Naija247news is an investigative news platform that tracks news on Nigerian Economy, Business, Politics, Financial and Africa and Global Economy.

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