We have no plan to arrest CJN —Presidency

The Nigerian government has reacted to reports that it had finalised plans to arrest the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, described the reports as false while it said the court reserves the rights to decide on the ongoing trial of the CJN

“This false story is being peddled by the Coalition of United Political Parties apparently to set the judiciary against the executive and cause major confusion ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

“The story is absolutely false as the Presidency is not in any way involved in plotting against or framing anybody.

“We note that the findings of the Code of Conduct Bureau against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and the allegations arising from them, are being handled by the courts in the normal way, as is expected in a democratic society like ours.

Read also: Nigerian govt asks court to remove CJN Onnoghen to give way for his prosecution

“The Presidency has not, and will certainly not, interfere in the process.

“We, however, want to draw the attention of the general public to this or similar false stories, which are ill motivated to further the political interests of their sponsors.

Mr Adesina reinstated the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to democratic process.

“While the Buhari administration is very firmly committed to the fight against corruption, we want to assure the general public that Government will always pursue its mission with the highest standards of fairness, and in strict conformity with the relevant laws”, he noted.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now