Court affirms powers of ICPC to investigate certificate forgery

Group condemns sentencing of Buhari, Masari’s critics
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has quashed the claim by the suspended chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Okoi Obono-Obla, that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) does not have the powers to investigate the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against him by the agency.

ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, who disclosed this yesterday in a statement, stated that the court, presided over by Justice N. E. Maha, also dismissed the allegation of abuse of fundamental human rights filed against the commission by the plaintiff.

The former SPIP chairman was arrested by ICPC operatives in March this year after being declared wanted last October for repeatedly spurning summons.

The anti-graft agency, while investigating allegations of abuse of office, certificate forgery and fraud among others, had wanted Obono-Obla to appear before it to clear his name.

He however, spurned the invitations, prompting his arrest and subsequent detention before being released on bail.

Obono-Obla subsequently approached the court, seeking redress in a case of an alleged breach of his fundamental human right to dignity of human person and personal liberty resulting from being declared wanted by ICPC.

Meanwhile, a group, Concerned Nigerians, has condemned the alleged abuse of office by President Muhammadu Buhari and Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari over the arrest, detention and sentencing of a 70-year-old, Bala Izala, and two others for allegedly insulting the two political leaders.

The condemnation was contained in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Theophilus Abu Agada.