6th September, 2017
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has debunked reports that it is investigating the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Walter Onnoghen.
One of the dailies reports on Wednesday that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kayode Fayemi and Justice Abdu Kafarati of the Federal High Court and others were currently being investigated by the EFCC.
“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 EFCC said in a statement on Wednesday by Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media & Publicity.
“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,” the statement said.