Anti-Graft War: No judicial gang up- CJN

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen has refuted insinuations of a judicial gang up to thwart President Muhammadu
Buhari’s war against corruption, following the recent cases squashed in court.

Speaking to journalists at the State House Abuja, after a meeting with President Buhari, the CJN said there is always the option of an appeal rather than be judgemental towards the judiciary.

The federal government, through its agencies, last week lost four of its legal battles, causing a setback in the war against corruption.
An Abuja High Court had on Wednesday dismissed all the 18 corruption charges filed against Justice Ademola, his wife Olubowale and Joe Agi, holding that the Prosecution failed to prove any of the allegations despite the provisions of sections 53 and 60 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act (ICPC Act).

In the same week the forfeiture on Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was reversed, while the case of misappropriation against a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe was squashed. The last of the cases is that of Patience Jonathan, former first lady which a federal high court sitting in Lagos unfroze her $5 million account in Skye Bank.
The federal government had last week said it will appeal the court rulings, especially that of Justice Ademola, his wife Olubowale and
Joe Agi.

However, responding to questions from journalists at the Presidential Villa, Onnoghen said “I am not going to speculate. I am a Lawyer and a judicial officer. I operate on facts and the law. So, I can’t answer that question because I am not on everybody’s mind. You are free to think whatever you want to think but I think you should be guided by facts and the law when it comes to judicial performance or discharge of judicial responsibilities”.

Asked if he was satisfied with the way the way anti graft war is proceeding in the country he said “I have told you that if you are not
satisfied, the system is fashioned and designed in such a way that if you lose in the Magistrate court and you are not satisfied; because someone must win and another must lose; so the loser has the chance of testing the decision on appeal. When it comes to the judiciary, don’t be judgmental. When you are judgmental, you become prejudice”.

He reiterated that though the FG had lost some cases in court the anti graft war had not lost its steam.

“You take that as losing steam? If there was steam, then it wouldn’t have been without the participation of the Judiciary. Good. So, If
there is losing of steam, you should not equally relate it only to the judiciary. The fight against corruption has lost no steam. It is not
correct. Now, you should know one thing: two people will always have a quarrel. They may be three or four or one hundred. All the parties to that quarrel will always have different stories to tell. By the way our system is fashioned and designed and operated, when you go to a court of law, you cannot have a drawn game. There must be a winner and there must be a loser. In our system, a loser has the chance of appealing to the highest court eventually.

“So, you cannot say because the government or any agency has lost a case in the high court, you have lost a case and the fight is losing steam. You should realize that there is a constitution in place and under the constitution, there is a rule of law. So, every system under a constitutional arrangement operated under the rule of law must have these things as checks and balances to protect everyone. It is for everyone”.

Onnoghen who said he was at the Aso Rock to welcome the President to the country also said he was personally committed to the fight against corruption.