A former chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Okoi Obono-Obla, has accused the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari of returning stolen assets recovered by his panel to the original looters. Obono-Obla made this claim during an interview on the Mic On Podcast.
Obono-Obla, who served as a presidential aide under Buhari, stated that the administration failed to effectively combat corruption, which was a key promise that had gained public trust. He mentioned that his efforts to hold corrupt individuals accountable were thwarted by officials within the same administration, particularly targeting the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Obono-Obla explained that SPIP, an independent body set up by Buhari, was responsible for recovering stolen property and assets belonging to the country. He shared a specific incident where he recovered over 80 brand-new X-class Mercedes Benz cars from an individual in Jabi, Abuja, only to have these assets returned to the owner. “Some of the things I recovered were returned to the looters. For instance, there was this case of someone from whom I recovered over 80 brand new X-class Mercedes Benz cars (armoured plated) from in Jabi, Abuja,” he said.
He recounted how he had communicated with the Director-General of Customs and the Federal Inland Revenue Services to confirm if the proper duties and taxes were paid on the vehicles, and both confirmed that they were not. Despite obtaining an interim forfeiture order from the court, Obono-Obla’s efforts were undermined when Malami denied authorizing his actions.
Obono-Obla also referenced a case involving a senator, who later became the President of the Senate, found in the Panama Papers with offshore properties worth over £200 million. Despite thorough investigations and reports sent to the president and the Attorney General, no action was taken.