The Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged and acquitted former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen of charges that led to his controversial removal from office in 2019.
Justice Onnoghen was suspended on January 25, 2019, by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, just 29 days before the presidential election. This action, which saw the appointment of Justice Tanko Muhammad as Acting CJN, sparked widespread reaction and was criticized by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) as a “coup against the judiciary.” The suspension came merely hours after Justice Onnoghen announced plans to inaugurate judges for election petition tribunals.
Following his removal, Onnoghen was convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on six counts of corruption, including false asset declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Now, almost six years later, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, headed by Justice Mohammed Bello, has acquitted the former CJN. The acquittal follows a settlement agreement between the federal government and Justice Onnoghen, reached under the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, reportedly moved to end proceedings related to Onnoghen’s appeals against his removal, conviction, and asset seizure.
Under the terms of the settlement, dated October 24, the court also ordered the federal government to immediately unfreeze Onnoghen’s account with Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited, marking a potential end to the prolonged legal battle.
