EFCC raids Onnoghen’s Nasarawa farm, seizes documents | Nairalaw

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Saturday raided
the farm of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter
Onnoghen, making away with sales books, receipt booklets, its
members of staff list and other documents.

It was learnt that about nine EFCC operatives, a cameraman and
policemen in a Nissan bus marked Abuja BWR 627AT raided Wanogan
Farms Limied located in the Masaka area of Nasarawa State around
3pm and searched the entire premises for over three hours.

A relative of the CJN told our correspondent that the EFCC
operatives seized all the phones of the workers to prevent them
from taking photographs of the operation.

He said they searched the store houses, water tanks in search of
dollars.

The relative said, “We were at the farm on Saturday afternoon
when operatives of the EFCC arrived in a white Nissan bus marked
Abuja BWR627AT. They forced their way into the premises, harassing
everyone.

“No document was presented to the manager under the claims that
the EFCC doesn’t need a search warrant. They searched his office
and made away with a list of staff members from around February
last year.

“The manager was then made to write and sign a document that
nowhere was broken into, and nothing was taken. The supervisor was
made to countersign. Both were made to do this under duress.

“The cashier was then harassed and made to turn over the sales
record and all receipts and invoices in his keeping. He was also
made to write an undertaking releasing the sales book to them under
duress and made to write his name and designation.”

He said the EFCC men harassed the human resources director over
the phone and requested that the company’s invoices be turned over
to the EFCC.

The suspended CJN had written a petition to the
Inspector-General of Police, alleging that some men posing as
herdsmen invaded his farm on February 1, 2019, asking residents if
they had witnessed any suspicious activities.

It was learnt that after the petition, security officials who
had been carrying out surveillance on the property, decided to
formally search the farm.

The relative added, “These people alleged that Onnoghen had 55
houses but when they realised that he had only one house; they
decided to start looking for evidence.

“They claimed he had foreign accounts but when it was time to
provide evidence to the NJC, they realised that it was only
domiciliary accounts he had which is not the same as foreign
accounts. Now, they are looking for evidence when the matter is
already in court.”

When contacted on the telephone, the EFCC spokesman, Mr Tony
Orilade, said he was not aware of the raid on Onnoghen’s farm.

“Sincerely, I am not aware,” Orilade said.

The EFCC, it was learnt, decided to raid Onnoghen’s farm with a
view to investigating claims by the embattled CJN that most of the
monies that passed through his accounts were from his farm
business.

The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit had sent a report to
the EFCC revealing the identities of firms that paid $3m into the
bank accounts of Onnoghen.

According to the document, Onnoghen received such huge sums of
money despite the fact that his salary and allowances were between
N240, 202 and N751, 082.37 from 2005 to 2018.