Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have surrounded the official residence of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.
According to sources familiar with the development, the heavily armed EFCC operatives arrived at the chief justice’s residence in Abuja at about 5:30 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.
“They are here and apparently, the intention is to arrest the Justice Onnoghen,” the source, who didn’t wish to be named told The Trent. “They said it is based on orders from the president. This is not a democracy but a dictatorship!”
This move by the executive arm of the federal government comes soon after a petition written by a former aide to President Muhammadu was used as the trigger for a swift corruption trial of Onnoghen on Monday.
Based on the petition written by Dennis Aghanya, the executive secretary, Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative, ARDI. the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, arraigned the chief justice on charges of false asset declaration.
Yinka Odumakin, spokesman of Afenifere, who confirmed the incident in a short video sent to The Trent, said the EFCC is making efforts to arrest the CJN.
“It has just come to our notice that men of the EFCC are currently at the gate of the CJN to effect his arrest despite the fact that the matter in the issue is still in court. We cannot understand the desperation by this administration to heat up the polity by carrying pour this arrest action.
“We call on president Muhammadu Buhari to call the EFCC to order not to create unnecessary tension in the system by effecting the arrest of the CJN when the matter is in court. It is not in the best interest of the government of Nigeria to be encouraging people to do self-help. They should ensure that they maintain the rule of law. Impunity is too much and the president should see to it that this does not continue.”
