A Federal High Court sitting in
Abuja has stopped the federal government from freezing the accounts of the
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
The presiding judge of the
Federal High Court, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, ruled that the Attorney General of the
Federation (AGF) cannot freeze bank accounts of Justice Onnoghen without first
obtaining a court order authorising the freezing.
The judge gave the order while
ruling on an ex parte application filed by the Legal Defence and Assistance
Project (LEAP) against the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the
AGF and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
A copy of the order, which was
made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday, read in part: “That the AGF
shall first obtain an order of court (ex parte) before freezing the accounts of
Justice Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel (in respect of Exhibit B) in compliance
with the law if, it was not obtained.
“That where it is shown that the
order of court was obtained before the freezing of the accounts contained in
Exhibit B, the freezing order shall remain valid.
“That order to be served on the
respondents pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
“That the matter is adjourned to
13th day of February 2019 for report/motion on notice.”
Recall that last month, the
federal government, through the AGF and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar
Malami (SAN), gave a directive to NFIU to freeze five bank accounts of
Onnoghen, pending the final determination of the case against him at the Code
of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
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