$9m was not found in my house- CJN
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, has refuted reports circulating online alleging that the Department of State Security (DSS) allegedly found $9million in his home.
In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant (Media) to the CJN, Mr Awassam Bassey, Onnoghen said the report is false and fake news stories sponsored by those who want to smear his name.
The statement reads in part, “CJN advises the public to disregard these infantile lies most probably intended to impugn the good name of His Lordship the CJN and distract him from the programmes which he recently introduced and has started implementing to reform the Judiciary as the third arm of government.
“The truth, which is already in the public domain, is that the DSS has never raided the home of His Lordship the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Hon Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen GCON; not recently and certainly not in the October 2016 invasion of the homes of some Judicial Officers in the country.
“It therefore beats the imagination why anyone would go out of their way to concoct and fabricate stories which are obvious falsehood.”
The CJN further assures Nigerians that the sponsors of these fake news stories and their campaign to smear his name will not distract, discourage or slow the reforms he has begun implementing.
Justice Onneghen also advised online publishers not to allow their platforms to be used as a medium for publication of fake news which does the country more harm than good in the eyes of the international community.
He assured Nigerians that the Judiciary under his watch will continue to discharge its responsibility as the last hope of all men, not just the common man.
