Nigeria suspends graft recovery boss over ´financial impropriety´

ABUJA: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the head of a panel tasked with recovering looted state assets after the official was accused of financial misconduct and falsifying his education credentials, officials said. Okoi Obono-Obla was suspended “with immediate effect” pending ongoing investigations by the country´s Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the presidency said on Twitter late Wednesday. A letter addressed to Obla from the government said the cases involved “alleged falsification of records and financial impropriety”. Obla has faced a string of accusations including that he siphoned off recovered funds for his personal use and falsified his university entrance certificate. He has denied the allegations, insisting he was being targeted by powerful interests from whom he had recovered assets worth millions of dollars (euros) in cash and assets, both at home and abroad. Obla´s case is seen as a test for Buhari´s anti-corruption campaign at the start of his second term in office.