Court of Appeal Acquits Ex-CJN Onnoghen, Orders FG to Unfreeze His Accounts
In a recent decision, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged and acquitted former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, from charges of false asset declaration levied by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). This verdict also mandates the immediate unfreezing of all bank accounts belonging to Onnoghen.
The three-judge panel, led by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, reached the decision following a settlement agreement between Onnoghen’s legal team and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi SAN.
The charges against Onnoghen date back to January 2019 when he was suspended by then-President Muhammadu Buhari. This suspension followed the recommendation of the CCT, which subsequently convicted Onnoghen on April 19, 2019. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed was then appointed as the Acting CJN.
During Monday's court session, Onnoghen’s lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, informed the appeal court that a settlement had been reached, adhering to the court’s directive. Counsel for the AGF, A. Gazali SAN, supported this submission and confirmed the agreed-upon terms.
The appellate court ultimately ruled that the CCT lacked jurisdiction to prosecute or convict Onnoghen—a judicial officer—without first involving the National Judicial Council (NJC), the supreme judicial body in Nigeria. Additionally, the court noted that Onnoghen’s prosecution should not have continued after his voluntary retirement letter was accepted by the Federal Government.
“The Code of Conduct Tribunal also lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter without resorting to the National Judicial Council,” read part of the judgment. Furthermore, the court ordered the immediate unfreezing of Onnoghen’s accounts with Standard Chartered Bank, Wuse 2, Abuja, frozen due to the CCT’s previous ruling.
Awomolo, in response to the verdict, expressed gratitude, highlighting the importance of the judiciary's autonomy and thanking the AGF and President Bola Tinubu for facilitating the settlement. He remarked that the ruling signifies a shift toward respecting judiciary protocol, as Onnoghen’s removal had originally bypassed the NJC's authority.
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