NBA, Agbakoba, Ozekhome, Others Condemn FG’s Restrictions on Onnoghen’s Accounts
The decision to freeze the five bank accounts belonging to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has been condemned by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and senior lawyers in the country.
The NBA and some senior lawyers were reacting to the directive from the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to place restrictions on the CJN’s accounts.
Part of the letter signed by Abiodun Aikomo for the AGF reads: “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 the 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. Account No. 5001062686 (euro) Standard Chartered Bank (SCB); b. Account No. 5001062679 (pound sterling) SCB; c. Account No. 0001062650 (dollar) SCB; d. Account No. 0001062667 (naira) SCB; and e. Account No. 5000162693 (naira).”
But Punch Newspaper reports the NBA, the former NBA President, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Chief Edward Ashiekaa (SAN) as condemning the directive from the AGF.
NBA Presdient, Mr Paul Usoro, SAN, argued that such order can only come from the Court.
Besides, Olisa Agbakoba was quoted by Punch as arguing that in the first place the allegation against Onnoghen was on false asset declaration and not corruption.
Agbakoba said, “It is not proper for the AGF to issue those directives because he is not being tried on corruption charges. He was charged with false declaration of assets.
“So, for me the AGF has exceeded his power to issue those directives. So I expect that lawyers, of course, will challenge it. The AGF cannot do that.”
Punch quotes Ozekhome describing the action of the AGF as one of dictatorship.
Ozekhome said, “They showed their clear intentions when they filed simultaneously a motion that he should excuse himself as the CJN. Somehow, the plan backfired on the government because of the unanimous public uproar and rejection that greeted it and the tactical move of Onnoghen’s lawyers who refused him appearing physically in court.”
Another lawyer, Ashiekaa also said the action of the FG was politically motivated.
He was quoted saying, “You cannot separate what is happening at the CCT from the issue of the freezing of the CJN’s accounts by the AGF. There were claims that the President wasn’t aware. How on earth can you separate these two issues? The order to freeze the accounts was from the AGF who is a SAN and who was supposed to know better.
“He wants to drag the image of the judiciary through the mud because of politics. The judiciary, which is insulated from partisan politics, is now being dragged through the mud.”
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