James Ojo, Abuja
Federal High Court, Abuja has dismissed a case filed by the former chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Mr. Ekoi Obono-Obla, over alleged abuse of his Fundamental Human Rights by Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC.
The court presided over by Justice N. E. Maha, held that Obono-Obla, in his plea, failed to show how his right was breached or about to be breached following the invitations by ICPC and consequently dismissed the case. Justice Maha also struck out Obono-Obla’s claim that the Commission lacked powers to investigate allegation of certificate forgery, for being incompetent.
Obono-Obla had approached the court challenging ICPC’s powers to investigate allegation of certificate forgery leveled against him by the Commission. He also sought 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.
The former SPIP chairman was arrested by ICPC operatives in March, after being declared wanted in October last year by the Commission, for repeatedly failing to honour invitations sent to him.
ICPC, 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, which prompted his arrest and subsequent detention in the Commission’s facilities before being released on bail.
