EFCC goes after Onnoghen, raids his farm

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly raided the farm of Walter Onnoghen, suspended chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), taking custody of some vital documents.

According to Punch, about nine EFCC operatives searched the Wanogan Farms Limited located in the Masaka area of Nasarawa state on Saturday, and took custody of some documents including sales books, receipt booklets and list of members of staff.

They were said to have arrived the farm in company of some policemen and raided the area for over three hours and without a search warrant.

Onnoghen is currently being tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over allegations of non-declaration of some of his assets, although he said it was an oversight.

He had said he made some of the money traced to his account from agriculture and forex investments.

A relative of the CJN was quoted as saying the EFCC operatives “searched the store houses, water tanks in search of dollars.”

“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,” the relative reportedly told Punch.

“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 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.”

Tony Orilade, EFCC spokesman, told the newspaper he was unaware of the raid.

In February, Onnoghen had in a petition to the police, raised an alarm that suspected herdsmen had been at the said farm and were threatening workers.