— Drops Charge on Falsification And Forgery
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The Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission [ICPC] has amended the number of criminal allegations it leveled against the ex-presidential aide, Okoi Obono-Obla, at the Federal Capital Territory [F.C.T.] High Court sitting at App, Abuja, as well as dropping all charges against one of the defendants, Mr. Efe.
The amendment which saw a reduction of the number of counts from ten [10] to five [5] , is coming just two months after the arraignment of Mr. Obono-Obla, as well as other defendants by the ICPC. According to sources, the Commission in addition to reducing the number of counts against the defendants also back-tracked on its allegation of certificate forgery which it had previously leveled against the presidential aide.
Recall that, on 1st day of July, 2020, the Commission had dragged the former presidential aide, as well as his former Senior Assistant, Special Duties (Protocol), Aliyu Ibrahim, and the Managing Director of ABR Global Petroleum Resources Ltd, Daniel Omughele Efe, before the Federal High Court sitting at Abuja. However, in a swift change, the Commission withdrew the charge from the FHC and filed same at the FCT High Court, on the 8th day of July, 2021
According to the previous court documents, the ICPC had alleged in two of the earlier 10 count charges that Mr Obono-Obla had forged and falsified of his O’Level examination result with which he gained admission into the University of Jos (UNIJOS) to study Law. The former presidential aide was also accused “of dishonestly using as genuine”, “a Mary Knoll College, Ogoja General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level, May/June 1982 (GCE) Statement of Result for Ofem Okoi Ofem with candidate No: 09403/247 showing an O’Level credit (6) score for Literature in English as part of the five O’Level credit requirement” for him to study Law in the said University, despite not having written the English Literature examination for May/June 1982 GCE.”
Similarly, Mr. Obono-Obla was accused of making a false document which he presented to the University for admission as a prospective undergraduate student and based on which his admission was made possible, all of which was alleged to be contrary to various provisions of the penal code.
The ICPC as part of its allegations against the former presidential aide also accused the trio of Obono-Obla, Ibrahim, and Efe of conspiracy in 2018 and diversion of over N19,994,180 received from the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation [NDIC] to furnish the office of the SPIP, to the personal account of Mr. Aliyu Ibrahim, using proxy companies. In addition to the refusal of Mr. Obono-Obla to honor an invitation by the ICPC for Investigation, an action which it alleged was contrary to Section 28(1)(a) and (6) and punishable under section 28(10) of the ICPC Act of 2000.
The allegations of forgery, falsification and diversion were however dropped by virtue of the amendment,, however it included a substituted sum of N10, 174,000 which it claims, in the amended charges, to have been paid to some contractors from the N15, 187, 917 the NDIC was said to have paid to some contractors for the furnishing of the SPIP offices.
The amended charges read thus,
“That you OKOI OFEM OBONO-OBLA(M) (aka Ofern Oko Ofem) and ALIYU IBRAHIM (M) in the month of April 2019 or thereabout, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court while being the Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) and Senor Assistant Special Duties (Protocol) to the Chairman SPIP, respectively conspired among yourselves to use your positions to confer unfair advantage an Aliyu Ibrahim by diverting the sum of N10,174, 000 (Ten Million, One Hundred and Seventy Four Thousand. Naira) being part of the total sum of N15, 187, 917.00 (Fifteen Million, One Hundred and Eighty Seven Thousand Nine Hundred Seventeen Naira) paid to some contractors by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for the furnishing of the SPIP offices into the account of ABR Global Petroleum Resources LTD, a company where Aliyu Ibrahim ss a director and signatory to its bank account and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 26(1)() and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
“That vou OKOI OFEM OBONO-OBLA(M) (aka Ofern Oko Ofem) and ALIYU IBRAHIM (M) m the month of April 2019 or thereabout, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court while being a public officer, to wit: Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) did use your position to confer unfair advantage on your associate (ALIYU IBRAHIM) when the sum of N10, 174, 000 (Ten Million, One Hundred and Seventy Four Thousand Naira) being part of the total sum of N15,187, 917.00 (Fifteen Mullion, One Hundred and Eighty Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred Seventeen Naira) paid to some contractors by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for the furnishing of the SPIP offices was diverted into the account of ABR Global Petroleum Resources Ltd), a company where Aliyu Ibrahim is a director, and signatory to its hank account without furnishing the said SPIP offices as proposed to the NDIC by you and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
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