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Buhari laments, reveals real reason Ex-CJN Onnoghen was sacked


President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday explained the real reason the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen was suspended before his voluntary retirement on May 28.

Buhari while speaking at a meeting on Tuesday with the leadership of Afenifere, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on his war against corruption said he had to deal with Onnoghen because of millions of dollars and Euros traced to him which were not declared, NAN reports.

The President wondered how someone, ‘who presides and lock people up for years and even sentence some to death was not doing what the constitution says he should do by occupying that vital institution.’

Buhari said: “I will tell you as Afenifere, that was why I had to deal though reluctantly with the former Chief Justice, because there were millions of dollars, euros, not to talk of naira, which were not declared.

“I wonder what sort of conscience some of us have, how can you seat and preside and lock people up for years and even sentence some to death and yet you are not doing what the constitution says you should do by occupying that vital institution.

“We put tribunals in all geopolitical zones and they investigated those who were in charge of government money and took all of them in prison until they explained what happened to the government’s money. Even I was detained, this is Nigeria.

“When a person cannot justify what he has or fails to declare as the constitution specifies, some of them dear to almighty God that their property doesn’t belong to them until we show them their bank accounts and their companies then we have some peace.’’