Appeal Court Discharges, Acquits Fmr CJN, Justice Onnoghen After 6-Yrs ...Orders FG To Unfreeze Account

From Abdul SULEMAN (ABUJA)

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Monday, discharged and acquitted a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, of the charge that led to his removal from office in 2019.

This is coming barely six years after he was convicted.

 Three-man Panel

The Court of Appeal, led by Justice Mohammed Bello, had set up a 3-man Panel of Justice to look into his appeal. 

The Panel acquitted the ex-CJN following a settlement agreement the federal government entered with him.

President Bola Tinubu had, through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) persuaded the appellate court to halt further hearing of three separate appeals the former CJN filed to challenge his removal, conviction, and seizure of his assets.

In line with the terms of the settlement dated October 24, the appellate court ordered FG to, forthwith, unfreeze Onnoghen’s account with Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited.

It will be recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari had on January 25, 2019, about 29 days before the presidential election, suspended Onnoghen from office as the CJN and swore in the next most senior jurist of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Muhammad, to take over the leadership of the judiciary.

Onnoghen’s suspension came barely eight hours after he announced his decision to inaugurate judges who would preside over election petition tribunals.

Ex-President Buhari’s action elicited varied reactions from both within and outside the judicial circles, with the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, describing it as a coup against the judiciary.

Onnoghen was later convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on a six-count corruption charge that was preferred against him by the Federal Government.

It was alleged that he made a false declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau.