Okoi Obono-Obla, a former Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel (SPIP) for the Recovery of Public Property, has revealed that the loot recovered during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was returned to the original looters. Obono-Obla made this disclosure on Saturday during an interview with Seun Okinbaloye on the Mic On Podcast.
Nigerian Idol Top 4 2024 Finalists: Maio Eliminated
Highlighting the pervasive corruption within Nigeria’s system, the former presidential aide recounted how his efforts to bring numerous looters to justice were thwarted by the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and other officials within the same administration.
“Some of the things I recovered were returned to the looters. There was this case of someone from whom I recovered over 80 brand new X-class Mercedes Benz cars (armoured plated) from Jabi, Abuja,” Obono-Obla stated. “I wrote to the DG, Customs, and the Federal Inland Revenue Services to ask if the person paid customs duties and tax on the vehicles; they said No.
“We obtained an order of interim forfeiture from the court pending the hearing of the case. I sent a memo to Malami to brief him on what we were doing, only for him to tell me that he never mandated me to do the things I investigated,” he added.
The SPIP was an independent investigative panel established by former President Buhari to recover Nigeria’s looted assets.
