FG Orders Onnoghen, Family’s Financial Assets Seizure -CUPP

The Federal Government has asked the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, to freeze five accounts of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen pending the determination of the alleged false asset declaration case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.
The Federal Government took the action via a letter by the Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, to the NFIU, dated January 14. This emerged as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, absolved his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, of being behind the trial of Justice Onnoghen before the CCT.
Speaking at a one-day conference organised by Online Publishers Association of Nigeria, OPAN, with the theme: Free Press and Objective Reporting in the 2019 Election Year, Osinbajo said Buhari did not have any fact of financial misdemeanor involving the CJN until Saturday evening.
He said it is highly regrettable that the CJN has to go through this process but that Buhari had issued specific instructions that anti-graft institutions be allowed to do their jobs without any interference.
“I must tell you in clear terms that President Muhammadu Buhari, his whole approach is that institutions should just do their work, I can tell you for a fact that he did not even know about this until Saturday evening.
This came as the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, served the charges on Justice Onnoghen, yesterday, in readiness for his arraignment on January 22. Also, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, invited Mr Femi Fani-Kayode and Afenifere Spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin over alleged fake news on the invasion of Justice Onnoghen’s house. While Fani-Kayode regretted the error in his comments, Mr Odumakin insisted that he never said that the EFCC invaded the CJN’s house and challenged the anti-graft agency to produce evidence that he did otherwise.
Also, the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, alleged yesterday that President Buhari directed the seizure of financial assets of the CJN and members of his family. Freezing of Onnoghen’s accounts
The minister made the request via a letter from his office titled: ‘’Re: Request for Freezing of Bank Accounts Subject to Investigation and Prosecution Pursuant to Presidential Executive Order 6 of 5th July, 2018 on the Preservation of Assets Connected with Corruption’’ to the director of NFIU dated and received by the NFIU on January 14. Signed by Mr. Abiodun Aikomo on behalf of the minister, the letter read:
‘’I am directed by Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to request that you, pursuant to the Presidential Executive Order No.6 of 2018, forthwith restrict normal banking operations on certain accounts belonging to Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen pending final determination of the case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT/ABJ/1/19. Federal Republic of Nigeria V Hon. Justice Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel.)
‘’These accounts are as follows: Account No. 5001062686 (Euro) Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) Account No. 5001062679 (Pound Sterling) SCB Account No. 0001062650 (Dollar) SCB Account No. 0001062667 (Naira); and Account No. 5000162693 (Naira).’’
Why Buhari is not aware Osinbajo said: “Let me say straightway that perhaps like any other government, President Muhammadu’s approach is that institutions should do their work; I can tell you for a fact that he did not even know about this until Saturday evening. He did not even know that there will be any kind of arraignment until Saturday evening.
“He (Buhari) has said categorically that don’t interfere with whatever institutions are doing; sometimes, it has consequences such as we have today; such that people say aaaah, how can such an important person be subjected to a trial without the Federal Government but I can tell you without any equivocation whatsoever that he is not even in the know because it is a specific instruction that he gave”.