A Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has acquitted former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, overturning his 2019 conviction by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on charges of false asset declaration.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, headed by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, acquitted the ex-CJN and ordered that all his frozen bank accounts be unfrozen with immediate effect.
Mohammed’s judgement is premised on the terms of settlement agreed by his legal team and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi
Recall that Onnoghen was booted out of office by former President Muhammadu Buhari just before the 2019 elections.
His suspension, which occurred shortly after he appointed judges for election tribunals, was strongly criticized by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) as a “coup against the judiciary.”
However, the federal government, represented by Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, urged the court to halt further hearings on Onnoghen’s appeals against his conviction, removal, and asset forfeiture.
More details to follow….
