The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has released a correspondence from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), directing the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to freeze the bank accounts of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen.
The two-page letter dated January 14, 2019 and received by NFIU same day, was signed by Abiodun Aikomo on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami.
Specifically, the letter was addressed to the Director of NFIU.
The letter titled: ‘Re: Request for Freezing of bank account subject to investigation and prosecution pursuant to Presidential Executive Order No 6 of 5th July 2018 on the Preservation of assets connected with corruption’ also carried the letter head of the AGF’s office.
According to Malami, the directive was sequel to the Executive Order 6. 2018.
The letter reads: “I am directed by Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justixe, to request that you, pursuant to the Presidential Executive Order No 6 of 2018, forthwith restrict normal banking operations on certain accounts belonging to Honourable 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:
a. 5001062686 (Euro) Standard Chartered Bank (SCB)
b. Account No. 5001062679 (Pounds Sterling) SCB
c. Account No 0001062650 (Dollar) SCB
d. Account No 0001062667 (Naira) SCB
e. Account No 5000162693 (Naira)
“Please, accept the assurances of the esteem of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice”.
In a statement on Wednesday signed by CUPP Spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, he threatened to release more “audio recordings of meetings of those behind the plot including call records which we will be releasing as we analyze them”.
He pointed out that “Lobbying of all sorts by the APC chieftains to get the Chief Justice of Nigeria to accept to compromise the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal and to compose the Governorship election Supreme Court Appeal Tribunal in Rivers state, Akwa Ibom State, Delta State, Lagos state, Benue State, Imo State, Kwara State, Plateau state, Kaduna State, Abia State and Sokoto State with their preferred choices of justices did not succeed as the Chief Justice had remained faithful to his Oath of office and said by his actions that the Supreme Court was neither going to be partisan nor partial and would not consider such requests”.
The development comes as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the claims by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that President Buhari only got to know about the CJN’s arraignment on Saturday and the Federal Government was saddened by the development.
A statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Secretary, insisted that the President is aware of the development from the onset.
“However, if the avowal by Vice President Osinbajo’s was true, then it goes to confirm the assertion that President Buhari is not in charge of governance but has outsourced the responsibilities of his office to unelected individuals due to his incompetence.
“Vice President Osinbajo’s assertion has also confirmed the claims by our First Lady, Aisha Buhari that a cabal has taken over the control of the Presidency, for which she forcefully called on Nigerians to take back their country.
“The PDP notes that the Buhari Presidency is only trying to sway public opinion on the matter following the outrage by Nigerians against the arraignment of the CJN.
“The party urges all lovers of democracy and rule of law to continue to be on their guard in the defence of our nation against anti-democratic tendencies of the Buhari administration, particularly the clamp down on democratic institutions in our country,” the statement reads.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
