News reaching us reveals the
response of the suspended CJN Onnoghen :
The Suspended and embattled Chief
Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen’s response to the query by
Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has been revealed. Chief Onnoghen in his response
said ‘My Asset Declaration for Nos. SCN000014 and SCN.0000 5 were declared on
the same day, 14th December, 2016 because I forgot to make a declaration of
May, 2005 declaration of my assets after the expiration of my 2005 declaration
in 2009.
Justice Onnoghen also said that
he cannot recall precisely the total amount he had in his reserve at the time but it
spread from his practice days as a private legal practitioner from 1979-1989.
Some of the deposits were result of forex trading that he engaged in. AGRICODE
and other investment returns were from proceeds of his investments .
Read his full statement below DATE:
1st January, 2019.
I WALTER S. N. ONNOGHEN of THE SUPREME
COURT OF NIGERIA hereby voluntarily depose to the statement averred herein
knowing that whatever I write or state may be tendered against me as evidence
in court. I also volunteer to state that the statement was not taken in
evidence from me under duress but after the administering officer has explained
and made known the details of the allegations against me. Rank/Position: CHIEF
JUSTICE OF NIGERIA
Date of Birth: 22nd DECEMBER, 1950
Residential Address: CTN
DRIVE ASO VILLA, ABUJA Date of 1st Appointment into Service: 1st OCTOBER, 1989
Date of Substantive Appointment: 7th March, 2017 Category of Appointment:
TENURED Duration of Tenure (if Applicable): FOUR YEARS
Date of Declaration of
Assets: 14TH DECEMBER, 2016 Details of Companies/Enterprises: NONE
Bank account
Details: STD. CHARTERED 0001062667 AND OTHERS AS PER MY ASSET DECLARATION FORM
No of Children: FOUR State any other full Time Employment (if any): NIL Name
(s) of Spouse/Date of Birth: MRS NKOYO W. N. ONNOGHEN 11TH JULY, 1957 Name of
Children/Date of Birth: ORIMINIWEFA N. ONNOGHEN EWUWUNI N. ONNOGHEN EFA N.
ONNOGHEN TITE N. ONNOGHEN Response to the Allegation(s): My Asset Declaration
for Nos. SCN000014 and SCN.0000 5 were declared on the same day, 14th December,
2016 because I forgot to make a declaration of May, 2005 declaration of my
assets after the expiration of my 2005 declaration in 2009. Following my
appointment as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria in November, 2016 the need to
declare my asset anew made to realize the mistake and then did the declarations
to cover the period in default. I did not include my Standard Chartered Bank
Account in SCN. 000014 because I believed they were not opened during the
period covered by the declaration. I did not make a fresh declaration of assets
after my substantive appointment as CJN because I was under the impression that
my SCN. 000015 was to cover the period of four years which include my leave as
CJN. The deposits made in my US Dollar account No. 87000106250 with STD.
Chartered Bank of $10,000 at different intervals of 28/6/11 were sourced partly
from my reserve and saving from my estacodes including medical expenses. The same
applies to my deposit of 27/7/11 of the sum of $10,000 twice. It is important
to state that prior to my opening the US dollar account I had foreign currency
which I kept at home due to the fact that there existed a government policy
that proscribed the operation of foreign currency account by Public officers
including judicial Officers. It was when I got to know that the policy had
changed that I had to open the said account. Upon opening the account, I was
made to understand that I cannot pay in more than $10,000 at a time and per
payment slip. I cannot remember the total amount I had in reserve at the time
but it spread from my practice days as a private legal practitioner from
1979-1989. Some of the deposits are a result of forex trading. AGRICODE and
other investment returns were from proceeds of my investments into them. The
withdrawals in the account are partly to pay children fees and upkeep abroad
and further investments. My British Pound and Euro accounts with Chartered
Standard Bank are savings accounts.
WALTER SAMUEL NKANU ONNOGHEN
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