…As Abuja Lawyer Petitions President, Police IG
- Accuses Obono-Obla Of Attempting To Pervert Justice …Unholy Affair With Estranged Wife, Child Abduction, Threat To Life
By Augustine Osayande and ‘Dotun Akintomide
President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on prosecution matters, Okoi Obono-Obla who was recently reinstated after his initial suspension as the Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property may have landed in fresh trouble again, following allegations of abuse of office and an attempt to truncate ongoing criminal investigation against him at the instance of an Abuja based lawyer, Julius Atanawhemera.
This was disclosed in a petition sent to the office of the National Security Adviser and President Muhammadu Buhari on 10th October, 2017 by Atanawhemera obtained by The New Diplomat in Abuja.
In the petition marked: JAAC/HEX/P/MP/GCFR/ABJ/A002, Atanawhemera who is also the Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) accused Obno-Obla of assault on his person, child abduction, continuous threat to his life, and illegal possession of his phones and cash worth U.S$2000 which were forcefully taken from him when he accompanied a court bailiff as a pointer to serve hearing and other court processes on one Evbu Igbenidion at Obono-Obla’s office located inside the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja among other weighty allegations.
Atanawhemera also alleged that Obono-Obla has been attempting to truncate investigation and pervert the course of Justice, misinformed the Officers of the Central Police Station, Abuja with a frivolous and malicious petition signed by Evbu Igbinedion (Atanawhemera’s estranged wife) with a letterhead of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The Abuja based lawyer said the usage of the letterhead was tantamount to an abuse of public office for a personal matter. He also alleged that the presidential aide is involved in an unholy relationship with another man’s wife and abduction of his growing male child.
He appealed to President Buhari that the DIG – Force Criminal Intelligence Investigation Department (FCIID) and his men be allowed to complete the investigation which they had already commenced to a logical conclusion for as long as the petitioner has not lost confidence on the DIG – FCIID and his men to investigate the content of the substantive petition.
“It is my contention that Okoi Obon-Obla, being him an SA to you, Mr. President and Chairman of a Presidential Committee, does not license him to commit crimes neither entitles him to be above the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as such, he should be advised to honour the Police Invitation duly served on him. Otherwise, the process to get a prime suspect arrested should be commenced on him in order to bring him, his privies, agents and those under his authority who conspired to commit heinous crimes against my person and my biological little growing boy to the law book” Atanawhemera said.
Efforts to get reaction from the presidential aide on the allegations proved abortive, however, The New Diplomat also obtained a petition dated 7th April, 2017 by Obono-Obla written to the Divisional Police Officer, Central Police Station, Central Area, Abuja which claimed that Atanawhemera came to fight in his office on the account of a strained relationship with his estranged spouse.
Meanwhile, as the battle between the duo lingers on, The New Diplomat learnt that till date, Obno-Obla, Buhari’s top Adviser on prosecution has failed to honour police invitation sent to him since 28th June, 2017 by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, FCIID, Abuja to answer to sundry allegations against him and Evbu Igbenidion who works under him.
Recall, Obno-Obla was suspended from his position on 1st of November by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, but was later reinstated after intervention by the presidency – albeit with some changes to his operational guidelines while he occupies that office, as Malami in the suspension letter had hitherto noted that “the Vice-President expressed his concerns on the activities of the Special Panel on the Recovery of Public Property (chaired by Obno-Obla) which runs contrary to the Act establishing it.”
This, it was gathered, has compelled him to continue to act under the shadow of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo who now supervises the work of the Special Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property in conjunction the AGF, Malami.
