EFCC Denies CJN Probe; I’ve Nothing To Hide, Says Onnoghen

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] has denied reports in some media that the agency is probing Chief Justice of Nigeria [CJN], Walter Onnoghen.

The EFCC made the denial in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren.

The agency, however, admitted sending a list to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), based on request.

The anti-graft agency rather expressed dismay that its secret probing of some past and present officials has been leaked to the media, therefore jeopardising investigation.

The commission was reacting to a report published by a news media that also listed several high profile persons, including former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kayode Fayemi and Justice Abdu Kafarati of the Federal High Court, among the people under probe.

Uwujaren said: “It is important to state that this report did not emanate from the EFCC and the allusion to “an EFCC source” is diversionary and mischievous.

“For the avoidance of doubt, cases under investigation communicated to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation by the Commission are classified information and it is troubling how such would be leaked to the media.

“The mastermind of this leak is out to create disaffection between the Commission and, particularly, the Judiciary. The Commission wishes to state categorically that it is currently not investigating Justices Onnoghen and Kafarati.

“While Onnoghen was being considered for his present position, the Commission received some petitions which were investigated and found to be without merit and discarded.

“Indeed, much damage has been done to the Commission’s investigation activities by this leak especially as some of the cases mentioned are still at preliminary stages of investigation.

In reaction, however, CJN Walter Onnoghen said that he was unaware that he was being investigated by the anti-graft agency.

In the event of any probe, though, he assured the public that he had nothing to hide and was open to any investigation.

His reaction was contained in a statement by his media aide, Mr Awassam Bassey, saying that he would not be deterred by the report in his bid to sanitise the judiciary.

Mr Awassam said: “Our attention has been drawn to a media report quoting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as probing the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen for yet-to-be disclosed reasons.

“The report in the media mentioned the reason for the investigation as ‘intelligence’, which for now we take to be abstract.

“However, the Hon. CJN wishes to use this medium to state that this is the first time he is being made aware of any allegations or intelligence against him, nor has he been invited or called upon to offer any explanation for any impropriety.

“However, the Hon. CJN wishes to assure the public that he has nothing to hide and is open to investigation.”

Awassam stated further that the CJN as a committed patriot who has spent his adult life in the temple of justice, was ready to pay the required price to make the nation a better place.

He said: “The commitment of the Hon. CJN in the efforts of the current administration to rid the country of corrupt practices is unwavering and he will stop at nothing to see a new dawn in Nigeria’s judiciary.

“He will also not be distracted from his avowed reformative efforts to make the Nigerian judiciary a beacon of well-rounded justices who the entire citizenry will be proud of.”

Awassam asked Nigerians to keep faith and trust in the present administration’s fight against corruption and assured them that the CJN was doing his best to reform the judiciary.

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