BEVERLY HILLS, September 06, (THEWILL) – Following media report that he is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for “for yet-to-be disclosed reasons”, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Walter Onnoghen on Wednesday declared that he is ready to surrender himself for probe by the anti-graft agency.
He maintained that he has nothing to hide, asserting that he was “ready to pay the required price to make the nation a better place”.
The CJN, in a statement signed by his media aide, Awassam Bassey, pointed out that he has never been invited or called upon by the EFCC to offer any explanation on any impropriety, adding that he would not be distracted in his effort to reform the nation’s judiciary.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to media reports quoting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as probing the Hon. The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, for yet-to-be disclosed reasons.
“The reports in the media mentioned the reason for the investigation as “intelligence” which for now we take to be abstract.
“However, the Hon. CJN wishes to use this medium to say that it is the first time he is being aware of any allegations or intelligence against him, neither has he been invited or called upon to offer any explanation on any impropriety.
“However, the Hon. CJN wishes to assure the public that he has nothing to hide and is open to investigation.
“As a committed patriot who has spent all his adult life in the temple of justice, the Hon. CJN is ready to pay the required price to make the nation a better place.
“The commitment of the Hon CJN to the efforts of the current administration to rid the country of corrupt practices is unwavering and he will stop at nothing to see a new dawn in Nigeria’s Judiciary.
“He will also not be distracted in his avowed reformative efforts to make the Nigerian Judiciary a beacon of well-rounded justice which the entire citizenry will be proud of.
“The public is encouraged to keep faith and trust in the present administration’s fight against corruption and be assured that the CJN is doing his best to reform the Judiciary accordingly.”
