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Ex-CJN: Appeal court directs FG to acquit and unfreeze Onnoghen’s account

The Court of Appeal, on November 4, 2024, discharged and acquitted the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.
According to report, Justice Onnoghen was cleared of the charge that resulted in his dismissal from office in 2019, in Abuja.
Recall that on January 25, 2019, approximately 29 days prior to the presidential election, former president Muhammadu Buhari removed Onnoghen from his position as Chief Justice of the Nation.
Ex-president Buhari installed Justice Tanko Muhammad, the next most senior supreme court jurist, to assume the role of head of the judiciary.
Onnoghen was suspended just eight hours after announcing his intention to appoint judges to lead election petition tribunals.
Buhari’s decision sparked a range of responses from both inside and outside of the legal community.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), called it a coup against the judiciary.
The federal government filed a six-count corruption case against Onnoghen.
According to report, the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), ultimately found him guilty of.
He allegedly gave the Code of Conduct Bureau a fraudulent declaration.
A settlement deal between the federal government and the former CJN resulted in his acquittal about six years after his conviction by a three-member Court of Appeal panel headed by Justice Mohammed Bello.
The former CJN filed three different appeals to contest his removal, conviction, and asset seizure, and president Bola Tinubu, through attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, convinced the appellate court to stop further consideration of the cases.
The appellate court directed FG to immediately unfreeze Onnoghen’s account with Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited in accordance with the conditions of the settlement reached on October 24, as per report.
Justice Walter Onnoghen
Nigerian lawyer and jurist Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen has made important contributions to the nation’s judicial system.
Onnoghen was born in Onoyom, Obot Akara local government area, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria, on December 22, 1950.
His remarkable career lasted for more than 40 years.
Onnoghen went to the University of Ghana to obtain a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree.
He finished his elementary and secondary schooling in Nigeria.
Later, he graduated from the Ghana Law School with a Barrister-at-Law (BL) degree.
In 1974, Onnoghen returned to Nigeria and started practicing law after being admitted to the bar.
When Onnoghen was appointed as a high court judge in Cross River State in 1988, his legal career officially began.
In 1998, he was promoted to the court of appeal due to his outstanding service and knowledge.
He was promoted to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the nation’s highest court, seven years later, in 2005.
Buhari honored Onnoghen’s outstanding service in March 2017 by appointing him as the 17th Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
In his capacity as CJN, Onnoghen reportedly promoted judicial reform.
This was attributed to the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Unit of the National Judicial Council he created as per report.
Also, he reportedly introduced the Judicial Information Technology Policy.
He persistently promoted the independence and accountability of the judiciary, according to report.
On the other hand, controversy dogged Onnoghen’s term.
He was suspended by president Buhari in January 2019 due to accusations of corruption and making fake asset declarations.
Many people criticized the suspension, claiming it was unconstitutional.
In April 2019, Onnoghen was found guilty and dismissed from office after being charged with six charges of false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
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