President Muhammadu Buhari has dissolved the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, SPIP as currently constituted with Okoi Obono-Obla as Chairman.
A statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity said that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has been directed to immediately take over all outstanding investigations and other activities of the SPIP.
Also, Buhari said that he was looking forward to receiving the final report of the investigation of Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission on Obono-Obla.
“The panel was established in August 2017 by the then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN to investigate specifically mandated cases of corruption, abuse of office and similar offences by public officers.
“President Buhari thanks all members of the dissolved panel for their services and looks forward to receiving the final Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) report on the ongoing investigations of the dissolved panel’s Chairman.”
In August, Obono-Obla was sacked as the chairman of the SPIP and asked to submit himself to the ICPC for interrogation over allegations of forgery and financial impropriety.
He refused to concede to the ICPC, but sued the anti-corruption agency instead, alleging that he was being persecuted for stepping on powerful toes while doing his job.
Obono-Obla was investigating some officials of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) before his sack.