According to the Chairman of the asset recovery panel, Okoi Obono-Obla, 29 prominent Nigerians including former Senate President, David Mark and deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu have been banned from traveling pending when their alleged corruption cases have been determined.
Obla lists some of the persons under the travel ban to include former House of Representatives speaker, Dimeji Bankole, former deputy speaker, Usman Nafada and former aviation minister, Stella Odua among others.
The chairman dismisses suggestions that the president interfered with the anti-corruption fight, noting that every agency works without the interference of the presidency
The federal government has banned 29 prominent Nigerians from travelling out of the country following the ongoing alleged corruption cases against them.
The special presidential investigation panel for the recovery of public property, Okoi Obono-Obla, at a media briefing on Monday, December 17 , said the 29 people will be banned from traveling until their cases are determined.
“We have compiled 29 names and submitted to the controller general of the Immigration Service. The 29 people will be banned from traveling because they have corruption charges. Their names have been given to Immigration Service. They won’t be allowed to travel,” he said.
The chairman of the asset recovery panel listed some of those included in the travel ban to include:
Deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu,
Senator Hope Uzodinma,
Former Senate president David Mark,
Former House of Representatives speaker Dimeji Bankole,
Former deputy speaker Usman Nafada,
Former aviation minister Stella Odua,
Folake Oke,
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi,
Abubakar Yar’Adua,
Olisah Metuh,
Former Sokoto state governor Attahiru Bafarawa,
Tumsa brothers among others.
He dismissed suggestions that the president interfered with the anti-corruption fight, noting that every agency works without the interference of the presidency.
Obla stated that that some other prominent Nigerians are under investigation for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices, He said the asset recovery panel had visited the issue of the Panama Papers.
“We have gone into area where others have left untouched, “ Obla said referring to the Panama issue.
“We have gone into investigating the issue of the Panama Papers. We have found out that many Nigerian public officers have properties abroad and we are in collaboration with the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to unravel the issue of the Panama papers,“ Obla stated.