Anxiety is now trailing a report by one of the national dailies (not The Daily Times) which on Wednesday claimed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, over his alleged involvement in corruption.
But the EFCC has quickly disowned the report, saying that it is not investigating the CJN and it is an attempt to put the agency in a collision course with the CJN and the judiciary.
Justice Onnoghen has also denied the report, insisting that no agency has invited him for any infraction just as he stated that he is not aware of any investigation by any anti-graft agency.
The EFCC and the CJN stated this on Wednesday while reacting to a report in one of the national newspapers. The report had claimed that the list of over 100 high profile and politically exposed persons including the CJN, former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kayode Fayemi and Justice Abdu Kafarati of the Federal High Court, who are said to be currently under investigation by the EFCC, have been forwarded to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN).
According to the newspaper, “The list, sighted by one of our correspondents via an EFCC source on Monday, was recently sent by the anti-graft agency to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), based on request”.
But the EFCC in a statement on Wednesday signed by its Head, Media & Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said that the report did not emanate from the commission.
The statement reads in part: “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 AGF 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.”
Faulting the propriety of the report, the EFCC said that “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.”
Also denying any investigation against the CJN, the Senior Special Assistant (Media) to CJN, Mr. Awassam Bassey, stated that the attention of the CJN has been drawn to the reports quoting the EFCC as probing Onnoghen for yet-to-be disclosed reasons. Bassey also stated in a statement made available on Wednesday that the reports in the media mentioned the reason for the investigation as “intelligence” which for now we take to be abstract.
He said: “However, the Hon. CJN wishes to use this medium to say that it is the first time he is being aware of any allegations or intelligence against him, neither has he been invited or called upon to offer any explanation on any impropriety.”
Bassey also assured the public that the CJN has nothing to hide and is open to investigation, adding that as a committed patriot who has spent all his adult life in the temple of justice, “the CJN is ready to pay the required price to make the nation a better place.”
The statement also said that the commitment of the CJN to 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 in his avowed reformative efforts to make the Nigerian Judiciary a beacon of well-rounded justice which the entire citizenry will be proud of.
“The public is encouraged to keep faith and trust in the present administration’s fight against corruption and be assured that the CJN is doing his best to reform the Judiciary accordingly”, Bassey added. Meanwhile, lawyers have said the report is an attempt to denigrate the judiciary.
The lawyers, who spoke with The Daily Times during separate telephone interviews on Wednesday, condemned the media report, saying that those behind it are making an attempt to further disparage the judiciary and put its leadership in disrepute. Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) said: “Both parties have clearly stated the position. No one else can contradict them.
We have been driven to the sadistic periphery where we simply look for faults with serving officers, even if none exists. We have become cynics and doubting Thomases. It’s so sad.” In his own comment, Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN), said: “I was shocked when I read the news online this (Wednesday) morning.
It is a big relief that the CJN has reacted that he is not under investigation. “I hope and pray it remains so. I ask for caution in the way our security agencies rush to the press about pending investigations. I must add that anyone could be investigated but it doesn’t translate to guilt”.
Also commenting on the report, an Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Hameed Jimoh, said the report should be disregarded because EFCC who was credited as source of the report has disowned it.
He said: “But, then the question arose who is the author of the report? “It is unfortunate that people will continue to make assertion which they can’t prove and most times they claimed they are exercising their rights to freedom of expression as such rights have limits”.
