ICPC asks security agencies to arrest Obono-Obla

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has directed security agencies to arrest Okoi Obono-Obla, former chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), wherever he is found.

Rasheedat Okoduwa, ICPC spokesperson, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja, on Friday.

The commission had declared Obono-Obla wanted after he refused to honour an invitation over allegations of forgery and financial impropriety.

Okoduwa said Obono-Obla has resorted to spreading propaganda against the ICPC instead of turning himself in to clear his name.

She said the commission is aware of Obono-Obla’s return to the country and security agencies have been alerted to pick him once seen.

“We are aware that Obono-Obla has returned to the county, and everything he has been saying about the commission and its chairman,” she said.

“He is reportedly going about saying ICPC is a rival office to his own. I have people calling me to react on what he has said.

“The decent thing is for the gentleman to come to ICPC to clear his name. We have given him an opportunity to clear his name in the allegations against him.

“Come forward, let us hear your own side of the story. We have done our investigations and have facts. We want to confront him with these facts.

“Signals have been sent to all the law enforcement agencies. Whenever they see him I am sure they will pick him up.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had suspended the former SPIP chairman, pending the conclusion of investigations by the ICPC.

In a Facebook post, the ex-SPIP chairman said he is yet to receive an official letter notifying him of his suspension.

Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), had earlier accused Obono-Obla of carrying out 50 illegal investigations while he was chairman of SPIP.