Former Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ntufam Hilliard Eta, has called for the adherence to due process and rule of law in the case of Okoi Obono Obla, former Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP) during the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Saturday Telegraph reports that Obono Obla was recently arrested by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for alleged certificate forgery.
Reacting to the arrest, Eta said, “The case of Chief Okoi Obono-Obla has once again resurfaced in the public space, accompanied by intense media attention and renewed controversy.
“At the heart of this matter lies a fundamental question: when does prosecution end and when does persecution begin?
“In 2018, allegations emerged concerning the authenticity of Chief Obono-Obla’s academic credentials during his tenure as Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP).
“These allegations led to investigations, suspension, arraignment, and a series of court proceedings.
“It is a matter of public record that he was arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
He was granted bail under judicial conditions.
“Certain forgery-related charges were later dropped in 2021 through an amended charge sheet.
“He challenged investigative processes in court, though some of those challenges were dismissed.
“The legal process has been engaged. The courts have been involved. Proceedings have occurred.
“This raises a legitimate concern: if aspects of the case have been amended, adjusted, or settled within the judicial system, why does the cycle of arrest and re-arrest appear to persist?
“Chief Okoi Obono-Obla’s case reads less like a straightforward legal matter and more like a political witch-hunt. From the outset, the allegations of certificate forgery have been weaponized by his opponents, particularly from Cross River State, to tarnish his reputation and silence his voice.
“It is no coincidence that these accusations resurfaced at every point when he was taking bold steps against corruption and powerful interests.
“The facts are clear: the matter of certificate forgery has already been taken to court, and in 2021, the ICPC itself dropped the forgery charges against him.
“If the case was truly about justice, then why has it refused to die? Why is Obono-Obla still being harassed, arrested, and dragged through the media on issues that have already been settled? This persistence points to one conclusion—political persecution.
“It is telling that Obono-Obla himself has consistently maintained that these attacks are hatchet jobs masterminded by politicians who felt threatened by his work as Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigative Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.
“His travails are also a result of his resolve to challenge the corruption that has gradually taken centre stage in his own home state, Cross River, and as a result, those in charge are not having it.
“Instead of allowing the law to take its natural course, his adversaries have turned his name into a battleground for political vendetta
“What we are witnessing is not justice but intimidation. A man who has served this nation with courage is being subjected to endless arrests and public trials, not because of any proven crime, but because he dared to challenge the corrupt elite.
“If the courts have already settled this matter, then any further attempt to keep it alive is nothing but oppression and abuse of power.
“This is why I stand with Chief Okoi Obono-Obla. He deserves fairness, not persecution. He deserves justice, not endless harassment.
“Nigeria must not allow political actors to turn our legal system into a tool of personal revenge. The truth must prevail, and the truth is that Obono-Obla is being targeted for his courage, not for any crime.”
