The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has condemned what it called the illegal raid of the farm of Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen, located in Nasarawa State.
The coalition claimed it has pictorial evidence to show that a combined team of policemen and officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) raided the farm.
The CUPP in a statement by its spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, yesterday declared: “Agents of the government stormed Onnoghen’s farm, hunting for evidence to back new charges they will file against him, to force him to resign.”
According to the CUPP, “The government wants Onnoghen out by all means, so that it can completely take over the Supreme Court and the petition of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, before the result of the February 23 presidential election gets to the apex court.”
The statement continued: “About nine men carried out the illegal raid on the farm. They were driven to the farm in a white Nissan bus with number plate ‘Abuja BWR 627 AT’ at about 5:00 p.m. They included two policemen, five men in mufti, a driver and one videographer/photographer.
“These intruders did not present any search warrant. They claimed that the EFCC does not need a search warrant. They forcefully searched the farm manager’s office and took away 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 that nothing was taken. The Supervisor 1 was made to countersign the document. Both of them were made to sign under duress.
“The cashier was then harassed and forcefully 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 role in the company.”
CUPP added: “They attempted to harass the human resources director over the phone and requested that the company’s invoices be turned over to the EFCC. They left with the company’s sales record, receipts and invoices, as well as the staff list. Only the ID card of the lead EFCC investigator was displayed and no copy of a search warrant was provided to the company.
“We view this raid as President Muhammadu Buhari’s new onslaught against Justice Onnoghen whom he illegally suspended as CJN recently.”
