The Code of Conduct Tribunal has fixed February 4 for the
resumption of hearing in the charges filed by the federal government against
the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mr. Walter Onnoghen.
Onnoghen who is facing a six-count charge at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for alleged non-declaration of assets was suspended on January 25 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He based his action on “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,”
The president swore in Justice Tanko Mohammed immediately as acting CJN pending the determination of the case against Onnoghen at the CCT.
The resumption of trial is informed by the ruling by the Court of Appeal which declined to stop further proceedings in the six-count charge the federal government preferred against Onnoghen at the CCT.
Spokesman for the CCT, Mr. Ibraheem Al-Hassan, said in a press release issued yesterday that the tribunal fixed the new date after receiving a letter from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
“The decision was reached today (Wednesday) sequel to a correspondence from the Code of Conduct Bureau, applying for the resumption of trial of the case captioned ‘Application for resumption of trial of the case of FRN Vs. Hon. Justice Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel case No: CCT/ABJ/01/19, addressed to Hon. chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal, dated 30th January, 2019, jointly signed by Musa Ibrahim Usman (Esq.) and Fatima Danjuma Ali (Esq.).’
“The above subject refers. This case came up for hearing of preliminary objection to the jurisdiction of the Tribunal on the 28th of January, 2019 but the Tribunal could not proceed due to the pendency of the case at the Court of Appeal.
“However, in the wake of this afternoon, 30th January, 2019 the Court of Appeal has thrown out the appeal.
“Consequently on the above, we urge the Honourable Tribunal to give us a date for resumption of the trial subject to the convenience of the Tribunal, Most obliged my Lord.”
