The Code of Conduct Tribunal on Wednesday ordered the Inspector general of police and the director general of the Department of State Security Services to arrest the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
The chairman of CCT, Mr. Danladi Umar, issued the bench warrant while granting the prosecution’s request that Onnoghen must be compelled to attend the tribunal and plead to the charge of breach of code of conduct pending against him.
Onnoghen, who is standing trial at the CCT for alleged non-declaration of assets, was absent again today when the tribunal resumed sitting on the matter.
Umar had at the last sitting informed the defence team that the tribunal would require Onnoghen to be present at the next adjourned date, which is today.
Giving the ruling after taking argument from Aliyu Umar, for prosecution, and Adegboyega Awomolo for the defence, Umar granted the request of the prosecution for the issuance of a bench warrant against Onnoghen.
The CCT Chairman subsequently scheduled Friday, February 15 for Onnoghen’s arraignment.
In his ruling, Justice Umar directed the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammad Adamu, and other law enforcement agencies to arrest and produce Onnoghen before the tribunal during its next adjourned date of February 15.
“In view of the above, the tribunal having given the defendant opportunity to avail himself on several occasions and he failed; in the circumstance, the tribunal hereby issue bench warrant to the inspector general of police and other law enforcement agencies to bring the defendant to the Tribunal on Friday for his arraignment,” he said.
It would be recalled that that Onnoghen was suspended on January 25 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Immediately, Buhari swore in Justice Tanko Mohammed as acting CJN pending the determination of the case against the CJN.
The president claimed to have received “an Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal issued on Wednesday 23rd January 2019, directing the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen from office pending final determination of the cases against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and several other for a relating to his alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.”
It would also be recalled that the National Judicial Council (NJC) had issued queries to Onnoghen and the acting CJN.
While Onnoghen was asked to respond to the allegations leveled against him, especially why he failed to declare all his assets as stipulated by law, Mohammed was demanded to explain why he allowed himself to be sworn-in by President Muhammadu Buhari without the recommendation of the Council as stipulated by the constitution.
The two judges were given seven days to respond to the queries.
It would also be recalled that Onnoghen’s arraignment at the CCT was consequent upon a petition by Anti-corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI) alleging some illegal transactions discovered in the CJN’s bank accounts.
The ARDI, in the petition to the CCB had alleged that “Onnoghen was the owner of sundry accounts primarily funded through cash deposits made by himself up till as recently as 10th August, 2016, which appear to have been run in a manner inconsistent with financial transparency and the code of conduct for public officials.”
The group also alleged that Justice Onnoghen made five different cash deposits of $10, 000 each on March 8, 2011 into Standard Chartered Bank Account No. 1062650; two separate cash deposits of $5000 each followed by four cash deposits of $10, 000 each on June 7, 2011; another set of five separate cash deposits of $10,000 each on June 27, 2011, and four more cash deposits of $10,000 each the following day.
The group further alleged that prior to 2016, Onnoghen appeared “to have suppressed or otherwise concealed the existence of these multiple domiciliary accounts owned by him, as well as the substantial cash balances in them.”
“The discrepancy between Justice Walter Onnoghen’s two CCB forms that were filed on the same day is significant.
“In filling the section on Details of Assets, particularly cash in Nigerian Banks, His Lordship, as Declarant SCN: 000014, mentioned only two bank accounts: Union Bank account number 0021464934 in Abuja, with balance of N9,536,407, as of 14th November, 2014, and Union Bank account number 0012783291 in Calabar, with balance of N11, 456,311 as of 14th November, 2014,” said the group.
