ICPC digs up 26-year-old forgery, hauls Buhari’s former anti-corruption fighter to court

Former chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property, Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, forged a certificate 26 years ago, and went on to become a crack investigator and smart lawyer.

Now he ICPC is making efforts to put him on trial, after he had even served on the anti-corruption panel of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The commission, in two charges filed at the Jos Judicial Division of the High Court of Plateau State, said the former SPIP head presented a fake result with a credit pass in English Literature to the University of Jos, with which he secured admission to read Law.

ICPC’s spokesperson Azuka Ogugua said the charge filed before Justice C. L. Dabup revealed that Obono-Obla did not seat for the Ordinary Level, General Certificate Examination in English Literature in 1982. But he presented a result of GCE to the University of Jos in 1985 containing Credit 6 from Mary Knoll College, Ogoja.

He was alleged to have committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 366 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State.

But Obono-Obla has pleaded not guilty.

His counsel, M. A. Agara, filed an application for bail on self-recognition, after the earlier application on court jurisdiction failed. The ICPC stated the suspect committed the fraud in Jos.

But ICPC counsel Henry Emore did not oppose the bail application, but urged the court to admit him to bail on stringent terms.

Justice Dabup admitted Obono-Obla to bail in the sum of N1m with one surety in like sum, with documents, and the surety must be resident within the jurisdiction.

The case was adjourned to November 25, 2021, for trial.