The Federal High Court, Abuja on Thursday dismissed the allegation of abuse of fundamental human rights filed against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) by the suspended chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Okoi Obono-Obla.
The court also held that ICPC has powers to investigate allegation of certificate forgery against Mr Obono-Obla.
Justice Nkeonye Maha held that Obono-Obla failed to show how his right was abused 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.
The former SPIP chairman was arrested by ICPC operatives in March after the commission declared him wanted in October 2019 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 refused to honour the invitations which led to his arrest and subsequent detention in the commission’s facility before being released on bail.
Obono-Obla then approached the court, claiming alleged breach of his fundamental right to dignity of human person and personal liberty.
He also sought the court’s powers to declare that ICPC lacked the powers to investigate him over allegation of certificate forgery.
