Onnoghen Owns Only 5 Houses, Not 55 — Ex-CCB Director

“Code of Conduct Bureau [CCB] was yet to verify Justice Onnoghen’s assets with a view to finding out if he made false declarations”. — Ex-Director at the Code of Conduct Bureau [CCB], Awal Yakassai

A retired Director at the Code of Conduct Bureau [CCB], Mr. Awal Yakassai has informed the Code of Conduct Tribunal [CCT] that the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria [CJN] owns only 5 houses and not 55 as stated as alleged in the media

Mr. Yakassai stated this while testifying during the trial at CCT of the embattled CJN on Thursday when he was answering questions under cross-examination.

CJN Onnoghen is being prosecuted by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government over alleged failure to declare his assets

He was said to have submitted the forms marked as Exhibit 2 and 3, to the CCB in 2014 and 2015.

Yakassai said that contrary to what is available in the public domain, it is not true that CCB investigators linked the ownership of 55 houses to the defendant.

He said the CCB was yet to verify Justice Onnoghen’s assets with a view to finding out if he made false declarations.

He said: “My lord, according to exhibit 2 and 3, the defendant has only five buildings and not 55”.

Awomolo noted that one of the five buildings was given to the defendant by the federal government itself.

Speaking on Onnoghen’s two asset declaration forms, which were still empty, he said:

“As indicated here, the column for verified assets have not been signed as at today” he added, saying it was standard practice at the CCB that returned asset declaration forms must pass through three stages of verification.

“My lord we have three stages of verification, the first is at the time of submission of forms, the second is what we called conference verification whereby we invite the person. And the third is physical verification of the assets.

“Until these three stages are completed, we cannot say that the assets have been verified”.

Reacting to the testimonial, the former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission [NHRC], Prof. Chidi Odinkalu said that the evidence on the trial now shows that was “deliberate falsehood”.

Taking to his Twitter handle, he stated:

#Nigerians were told Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen owns only 55 houses. The evidence now shows that was deliberate falsehood. And that doesn't scratch the surface of the lies… https://t.co/eTcBeBos8h via @Nigerialawyers

— Chidi Odinkalu (@ChidiOdinkalu) March 21, 2019

He noted that 1 by the deliberate falsehoods put out in order to procure the unjustifiable and nepotistic removal of Onnoghen are being tested and being shown to be desperate, willful lies:

1 by 1 the deliberate falsehoods put out in order to procure the unjustifiable & nepotic removal of Chief Justice, Walter Onnoghen, are being tested on trial & being shown to be desperate, wilful lies. https://t.co/5yiBHgZkPS via @Nigerialawyers

— Chidi Odinkalu (@ChidiOdinkalu) March 21, 2019