Former Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Okoi Obono-Obla, has asserted that people who served during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s eight-year administration should be in jail.
Obono-Obla, a seasoned lawyer acknowledged that it would be inappropriate to draw such conclusions solely based on allegations, as guilt must be proven in a competent court of law.
Recall that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, stated that many individuals currently in public office in Nigeria should be locked up in prison.
According to him, leaders do not possess the necessary qualities to effectively lead the nation, suggesting they would be better suited for incarceration or worse.
Responding to the statement by the former President, Obono-Obla countered by stating, “So many people in Obasanjo’s eight-year presidency equally should have been in jail. However, as a lawyer, I can not subscribe to such fallacious arguments no matter how attractive it sound.”
According to Vanguard, the human rights advocate emphasized that suspicion alone does not equate to guilt, highlighting it as a fundamental legal principle.
“Having said that, I think it is in the realm of speculation or rumour-mongering to suggest so, and so a person ought to be in jail.
“Was the allegation against such a person investigated? Was a prima facie case established against the person?
“Was he convicted before a court of competent jurisdiction?” Obono-Obla questioned rhetorically.
