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  • Abbas, Uba Sani, Onnoghen, Okorocha, Adeyemi, others lose Abuja plots of land

    Abbas, Uba Sani, Onnoghen, Okorocha, Adeyemi, others lose Abuja plots of land

    Seven hundred and sixty-two Nigerians, including House of Representatives Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, and organisations have lost their plots of land in the high-brow Maitama 1 District and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT).

    FCT Minister Nyesom Wike revoked their Certificates of Occupancy(Cs-of-O) and threatened to withdraw the Rights of Occupancy (Rs-of-O) of 614 other individuals and companies if they fail to pay outstanding bills on their plots within two weeks.

    The decisions by the minister were contained in two separate public notices published yesterday by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

    The revocation, according to one of the notices published,  was  informed by the unwillingness  of the affected persons, who are mostly serving and former public office holders,  to pay  the Cs-of-O) of the affected plots of land.

    The second notice hinged on the threat to cancel the Rs-of-O due to the allottees’ failure to pay outstanding bills on their plots.

    One of the revoked Cs-of-O is that of the land belonging to the Muhammadu Buhari Trust Foundation.

    However, Shehu Garba, media aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, clarified that the land belonged to the foundation and not his principal.’

    Read Also: Tinubu’s vision for the livestock sector will unlock vast potential – Minister 

    Other prominent persons listed in the revocation notice are Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume and his wife, Regina; former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State; former   Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo),    Ben Ayade(Cross River), Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara),  Ahmad Sani (Zamfara) and Kabiru Gaya  (Kano).

    Also on the list are Senate Chief Whip  Tahir Monguno;  Senators  Enyinnaya Abaribe, Abdul Ningi, Dino Melaye, Smart Adeyemi,   Sunday Karimi, Abdulfatai Buhari, Barnabas Gemade, Shehu Sani, Adeyemi Adaramodu, Abba Moro, Danjuma La’ah and Abdulmumin Jibrin, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, Obinna Chidoka, Nicholas Mutu, Dan Reneiju, Ezenwa Oyewuchi, Chinyere Igwe, David Umaru, Oluwole Oke and Oker Jev.

    The list also contains the names of former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Chibudom Nwuche; former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin, Nnenna Ukeje,   Dapo Lam-Adesina, Leo Ogor, Francis Alimkhena and Lynda Ikpeazu.

    Those threatened with revocation orders in the second notice  include two former Senate  Presidents–  Iyorchia Ayu and Ameh Ebute–; Senators Andy Uba, Biodun Olujimi, Agom Jarigbe, Kingsley Chinda, and Ben Obi;  former Ebonyi State Governor Sam Egwu; erstwhile Aviation Minister   Stella Oduah;   and  Deputy Governor of Edo State Dennis Idahosa.

    Also on the list are the Labour Party(LP) presidential candidate in last year’s general election  Peter Obi, former Cross River State Governor  Liyel Imoke; former National Planning Minister   Udo Udoma, late SGF   Ufot Ekaette;  Publisher of  Leadership,  the late  Sam Nda-Isaiah and Senator  Victor Oyofo.    

    A former Supreme Court Justice and Chairman of the 2005 National Conference, the late  Niki Tobi; a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi; Chidinma, wife of a former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka; and Paul Nwabiukwu, media aide to the Director-General of World Trade Congress (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are among others listed.

    The corporate entities with their allocation revoked are BUA Group, whose plot is at  335 in Katampe; Julius Berger Nigeria with a plot at 2217 also in  Katampe and  Honeywell Construction with a plot at 653 in the Idu Industrial Area of the FCT.

    The second notice by the  FCTA reads: “The Federal Capital Territory Administration wishes to inform the allottee (s)/title holder (s) of plots of land in Maitama 1 who have failed to make payment for their Certificate of Occupancy (Cs-of-O) bills after the expiration of grace period granted by the Honourable Minister, Federal Capital Territory that their Right of Occupancy to the land/property have been withdrawn, pursuant to the provisions of Section 28 of the Land Use Act of 1978 for contravention of the terms of grant which obligated the title/interest holders to settle all bills.

    “Section 28 of the Land Use Act, to which the FCTA notice referred, stipulates how landed properties vested in individuals can be revoked by authorities. Subsection Five   empowers state governors (the Minister of the FCT in the case of Abuja) to revoke a statutory right of occupancy on the ground of-

    “(a) a breach of any of the provisions which a certificate of occupancy is by section 10 of this Act deemed to contain;

    “breach of any term contained in the certificate of occupancy or in any special contract made under section 8 of this Act. The non-payment of statutory fees by landowners are considered violations for which allocated plots can be revoked.

     “The Federal Capital Territory Administration hereby informs the general public, particularly allotee (s)/title holder (s) of land in the Maitama 1 District of the FCT who have since made payment of their outstanding Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) bills to as a matter of urgency pay the balance of their bills within two weeks from the date of this publication or have their Rights of Occupancy (Rs-of-O) titles withdrawn.” 

    Buhari not owner of revoked plot

    Following online media reports, Shehu debunked claims that the revoked land listed as  Muhammadu Buhari Trust Foundation belonged to his boss. 

    Shehu explained in a statement that the foundation was established by individuals close to the former President.

    He said the foundation lawfully acquired the land with support from well-meaning Nigerians but encountered bureaucratic hurdles when the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) presented an unusually high bill for the issuance of the C–of–O.

    “This bill was far higher than what was typically charged to similar organisations,” he said, adding that the revocation of the property rights came as no surprise.

    He further stressed that Buhari, during his tenure, had demonstrated a personal disinterest in acquiring additional land in Abuja.

    “When he and his cabinet members were invited to apply for land in the FCT, he returned the form unfilled, stating that he already owned a plot and that others without land should benefit instead,” Shehu explained.

    He chided commentators spreading ‘’misinformation’’ about the revoked plot.

    “Let those jumping up and down in the digital space get their facts right and stop dragging the name of the former president into baseless controversies,” Shehu said.

    The FCT  Minister had in September last year announced the revocation of Cs-of-O of 165 plots in Abuja.

    Last month, Wike emphasised that he would not mind hurting the rich in the reforms he was introducing in the territory.

    He also pegged the cost of obtaining a C-of-O at N5 million, with a four-month window for payment, and vowed to end multiple allocations of the same plot to different people.

  • Onnoghen’s travail comes to an end

    Onnoghen’s travail comes to an end

    Hopefully, last week’s acquittal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, will bring a messy case begun since January 2019 to a somnolent end. Some five years ago, after a welter of shadowy intrigues against the former CJN, he was charged in the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for false declaration of assets. He had been due to retire in December 2020, but they wouldn’t let him go quietly. However, after the courts failed to grant him the reliefs he asked for on account of the case being improperly brought, especially with the allegations against him not passed through the National Judicial Council (NJC) as demanded by law, Justice Onnoghen finally threw in the towel in April 2019 shortly before the CCT delivered its judgement.

    Last week, the Court of Appeal referenced his resignation and the acceptance of same by former president Muhammadu Buhari, and declared that the CCT judgement was superfluous, and his assets inappropriately forfeited. What is remarkable about Justice Onnoghen’s ordeal is that despite being the CJN, the courts failed him when his travail started. They declined to give him the reliefs he sought, threw him to the wolves, and he soon discovered that he was isolated. If as CJN he could not get the justice he thought he deserved, who else could?

    Read Also: Appeal Court quashes ex-CJN Onnoghen’s conviction on false assets declaration charge

    His reputation may have been badly savaged, leaving him little room to recover, but at least his assets are to be returned to him, while everyone who remembers the case will recognise that he was badly served at the time. The ultimate lesson is that in a broken system, no one is immune from degradation. It may have taken him about five years to finally get justice, but better late than never. His terminal benefits ran into billions of naira, and his previously forfeited assets also pack a significant punch. He probably rues the fact that ex-president Buhari never wanted him to assume the CJN position in the first instance, and he only became the number one jurist when former vice president Yemi Osinbajo held the fort. But notwithstanding the cost to his reputation and the shattering of his emotional composure, he survived long enough to fight for his vindication. A less stolid and adamant person would have wilted under the massive conspiracies by the executive and judicial branches.

  • Dispute over sack: Appeal Court okays settlement plan for Fed Govt, ex-CJN Onnoghen

    Dispute over sack: Appeal Court okays settlement plan for Fed Govt, ex-CJN Onnoghen

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja yesterday acceded to a request by the Federal Government and a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, for an out-of-court resolution on issues surrounding the ex-CJN’s removal from office in 2019.

    Justice Onnoghen was convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in its judgment delivered on April 18, 2019.

    This followed his trial on a six-count charge of alleged false assets declaration and breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers brought against him by the Federal Government.

    The CCT, among others, ordered Justice Onnoghen’s immediate removal from office, stripping him of all other offices he earlier occupied, including the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), and Chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).

    Read Also; Alleged ritual, kidnapping: Police confirm incident in Abuja

    The tribunal also ordered the forfeiture of his five bank accounts and the money in the accounts, which he was said not to have declared in the asset declaration form he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

    Dissatisfied with the CCT’s judgment, Justice Onnoghen challenged the decision and filed three appeals.

    At the mention of the appeals yesterday, the appellant’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), told the court that parties were in talks to ensure an out-of-court resolution of all issues in dispute.

    Onoja averred that the parties had an engagement the previous day (September 18) and expressed hope that the discussion would yield a good result.

    He prayed the court to grant a month’s adjournment to enable the parties conclude talks and reach a final settlement.

    The Federal Government’s lawyer, Tijani Gazali (SAN), confirmed what Onoja said, agreeing that the cases be adjourned to enable the parties conclude their ongoing settlement talks.

    Gazali said: “My Lords, I wish to humbly confirm the information. It is our position to settle the matter out of court.”

    Justice Joseph Oyewole, who presided, directed the parties to file terms of settlement before the next adjourned date.

    The judge said the terms of settlement would be adopted as the court’s judgment in the case.

    He adjourned till November 4 for the adoption of the terms of settlement.

  • Forceful removal: Appeal Court to hear ex-CJN Onnoghen’s appeals filed since 2019

    Forceful removal: Appeal Court to hear ex-CJN Onnoghen’s appeals filed since 2019

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja will on Tuesday, August 18, hear three appeals by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen against the judgment of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, (CCT) that ordered his removal from office in 2019.

    The Court of Appeal informed parties of the hearing date in a notice issued by the court’s Registry, which The Nation saw on Monday.

     The notice reads: “Please take notice that the above matter is listed for hearing on Tuesday the 20th day of August, 2024 at 9 o clock in Court Appeal, Abuja division. Please take note that this serves as a hearing notice”.

    The appeals, The Nation learnt, were filed in 2019. They are marked: CA/ABJ/375/2019, CA/ABJ/376/2019 and CA/ABJ/377/2019. The appeals have the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the sole respondent.

    By the appeals, Justice Onnoghen is, among others, praying the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment rendered by the CCT on April 18, 2019, sacking him from office.

    He is contending, among others that the CCT was without the requisite jurisdiction, was biased and allegedly denied him a fair hearing.

    The CCT had, in its judgment, convicted Onnoghen in all the six counts contained in the charge on which he was tried on allegations of breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

    In its lead judgment delivered by the then Chairman, Danladi Umar, the CCT ordered Onnoghen’s immediate removal from office as the CJN.

    It also stripped him of all offices he earlier occupied, including as Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), and Chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).

    The tribunal also ordered the forfeiture of his five bank accounts and the money in the accounts which Onnoghen did not declare in his asset declaration form submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, an agency of the federal government.

    Onnoghen, in his appeals, maintained that the CCT panel erred in law and occasioned a miscarriage of justice against him when it failed to decline jurisdiction to entertain the six-count against him.

    He contended that the CCT Chairman ought to have recused himself from presiding over his trial.

    In his seven-point reliefs, Onnoghen applied for an order setting aside his conviction as well as quashing the order for the forfeiture of his assets and to discharge and acquit him of all the charges levelled against him.

    Read Also: SANs accuse Appeal Court of betraying Onnoghen

    Listing some of the particulars of error in the CCT’s verdict, Onnoghen argued that he was a judicial officer at the time the charges were filed against him on January 11, 2019, and as such cannot be subjected to the jurisdiction of the lower tribunal.

    “0n the authority of Nganiiwa v. FRN (2018) 4 NWLR (Pt. 1609) 30: at 340. 341 only the National Judicial Council (NJC) has the power to discipline the Appellant for misconduct and not the lower tribunal.

    “The lower tribunal had in the case of FRN V. Sylvester Nwali Nguta in charge No: CCT/ABJ/01/2017 delivered on 9th January 2018, affirmed the position of the Court in FRN Nganjiwa v. FRN and dismissed the charges and acquitted and discharged Justice Ngwuta being a Judicial Officer subject only to the discipline of the National Judicial C0uncil.

    “The lower tribunal has no jurisdiction over serving judicial officers such as the appellant, save the National Judicial Council.

    “The Motion on Notice dated 14th January 2019, challenging jurisdiction ought to be granted in all material particular as it purports to save the lower tribunal of a needless futile exercise.

    “The lower tribunal erred in law when it dismissed the Appellant’s Application seeking the chairman to recuse himself from further proceedings on the ground of real likelihood of bias and thus occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

    “The Appellant has alleged that the chairman of the lower tribunal is biased towards him as a result of open remarks in the tribunal as well as how the proceedings were being conducted.”

    Contrary to the CCT finding, Onnoghen, said he did not admit the fact of non-declaration of Assets from 2005 as the Justice of the Supreme Court, adding that he only stated that he did not declare in 2009 as required because he forgot.

    Onnoghen challenged the order for the confiscation of his assets because the assets were legitimately acquired, as against the provisions of paragraph three of section 23 of the CCB Act which only permits the seizure of such assets “if they were acquired by fraud.”

    He faulted the failure of the prosecution to present the petitioner, Denis Aghanya, before the tribunal whose petition led to the charges against him.

  • South-South govs seek dignified exit for Onnoghen

    •May meet Buhari over suspendend CJN

    The South-south governors may have resolved to intervene in the resignation saga of the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

    The governors intend to meet President Muhammadu Buhari with a view to persuading him to accept Onnoghen’s resignation letter.

    Buhari is yet to act on the April 4, 2019, letter or the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) that the CJN be compulsorily retired.

    Onnoghen turned in his letter 24 hours after the NJC met and decided that he had to go having lost the moral authority to continue as CJN with the litany of allegations bordering on misconduct against him.

    The Nation gathered that the majority of the South-South governors have bought the idea of intervening in the Onnoghen matter.

    It was also learnt that Onnoghen actually attempted to negotiate his exit with three conditions before the NJC advised the President to retire him.

    The presidency   rejected the Onnoghen exit conditions and opted to see his trial through at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    One of the conditions was for the federal government to enter a nolle prosequi at the tribunal.

    He also asked that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should discontinue his investigation/trial, and that his suspension be lifted to allow him to return to office after which he would voluntarily resign within four weeks.

    On Thursday however, the tribunal convicted him for failing to declare his assets as required by law, and ordered his immediate removal from office as CJN.

    Investigation revealed that the South-South governors, some of whom have no personal relationship with Onnoghen, have requested audience with Buhari.

    The meeting was expected to be held last Thursday but the conviction of Onnoghen same day by the CCT caused a delay as one of the issues was overtaken by the judgment.

    Sources said the governors are keen on getting a dignified exit for Onnoghen, who is from the geopolitical zone.

    They were said to have consented to a ‘political solution’ to the CJN matter.

    A source familiar with the development said: “The South-South governors want the presidency to close the chapter on Onnoghen by accepting his voluntary resignation/ retirement. This is why they believe a political solution is better than this messy affair.

    “They have sought audience with the President on how to find an amicable solution to the travails of Onnoghen.

    “They are buying into the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to allow Onnoghen to retire with full benefits and retain his membership of the Council of State.

    “They do not want the CCT matter to drag on for more months. They also do not want Onnoghen subjected to a separate trial by the EFCC on other allegations against him.”

    It was unclear when the governors will meet the President again.

    Before the conviction of the CJN on Thursday, he had resigned or retired after much pressure and following the decision of the NJC advising Buhari to retire him.

    “The NJC decision shocked Onnoghen and he lost the last straws he was clinging to. At this point, he offered to resign/ retire accordingly,” another source added.

    The Presidency, in rejecting Onnoghen’s conditions for stepping down, believed that the law be allowed to run its course.

    A government source said: “The conditions were untenable and the presidency told the intermediary that investigative reports on Onnoghen were awesome for three separate trials.

    “This was how the negotiation deal collapsed and Onnoghen was left to bear his cross at the CCT. If the CJN had made some concessions, maybe his case would not have reached this level.”

  • Onnoghen: NJC extends acting CJN’s appointment

    The National Judicial Council said it has extended the appointment of acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, for another three months. The NJC, in a statement, said it took the decision at its 88th Meeting held last Thursday.

    NJC’s spokesman, Soji Oye, said, in the statement, that the extension was at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari, who made a request to that effect. The statement reads: “The attention of the National Judicial Council has been drawn to an online newspaper and daily newspaper report stating that the Council would meet next week to deliberate on the extension of the Acting Appointment of Honourable Dr. Justice I. T. Muhammad CFR, as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

    “Contrary to the above, the Council actually met on Thursday 18th April, 2019 and at the 88th Meeting considered and approved the request of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for the extension of the appointment of Hon. Dr. Justice I. T. Muhammad, CFR, as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria for another three (3) months and council has since forwarded its approval to the President.”

     

  • Onnoghen and the ‘Waltergate scandal’

    The conviction of Justice Walter ONNOGHEN by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and his dismissal as the Chief Justice of the Federation is akin to the Watergate scandal in America the other time.

    Like the American episode, this one took the resilience of the trial judge to get to the bottom of it. Yes, an appeal is said to have been indicated, but it will be interesting to know how this judgement will be upturned.

    This matter goes beyond tribe or politics, and it waits to be seen whether the Judiciary will seize this onerous chance to restore itself on the path of rectitude or sink deeper into the morass of which it has already been justifiably tainted.

    To be sure, you still have some judges who are upright and in who there is hope that all is still not lost in the upper bench. But if the truth must be told, many of our judges had found it difficult to insulate themselves from the monumental corruption in the outer world.

    There is evidence that some judges are so stupendously rich that you would wonder what Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga are doing in the world of commerce when they can sit pretty on the Bench to make that easy money otherwise known as unearned income.

    If anyone had wanted to exonerate judges from the accusation of sleaze, the now dismissed Chief Justice of Nigeria had fluffed it with the mind boggling revelations that came out of the CCT.

    Honestly I have no tears to shed for Justice Onnoghen. In fact, good order demands that I should see him go.

    I am, however, constrained to plead with the remaining corrupt judges still sitting to take the honourable path and quit voluntarily before their own bubble will burst, while the upright ones should summon the courage like the CCT’s Justice Danladi Umar, to redeem the badly battered image of the Judiciary and restore to themselves the epithet of “men and women of honour on whom there is no stain”.

    In this season of Easter, I wish the nation’s Judiciary at all levels the power of rectitude to walk the path of glory!

  • Onnoghen’s resignation: ‘PDP should hide their faces in shame’

    The Buhari Media Organisation on Monday lashes out at the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over their support for the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, asking them and their leaders to go hide their faces in shame after Justice Onnoghen tendered his resignation letter over corruption allegations.

    In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the pro Buhari group said it is funny that the opposition elements and their allies stood firmly behind a senior judicial officer that was facing serious charges and sought to make political capital out of it.

    He said that the resignation of the former Chief Justice has proven that President Buhari acted in national interest by suspending the tainted Chief Justice, saying “Nigerians all saw the manner PDP and its leaders, including its former Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, ran from pillar to post before the election in a bid to defend Justice Onnoghen.

    “The party leaders even suspended their flagging Presidential campaign at that time for 72 hours! Just to be seen to be fighting perceived injustice, but discerning Nigerians knew they were playing to the gallery.

    “They were quick to shout political witch-hunt to the high heavens and that was in spite of the overwhelming evidence which they insisted on not interrogating because the CJN’s suspension tallied with the wrong impression of a dictatorial government that PDP was keen on selling to the electorates in the run up to the election.

    “We were also not surprised that another key PDP leader, the usurper Senate President Bukola Saraki, attempted to drag the Senate into it until the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus which had a clear majority shot it down.

    “We won’t also forget PDP governors in the South-South region in the hall of infamy, especially as they encouraged the man who was at the time the custodian of the nation’s law not to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    “And now that Onnoghen has done what he should have done in the first instance rather than engage in judicial rigmarole, does it not amount to a smear on what is left of the character of these PDP elements. All these prove that PDP is still what it is-a party that supports and glorifies corruption.”

    Read Also: Onnoghen case ends anticlimactically

    According to them, President Muhammadu Buhari also deserves an apology from a segment of the civil society who castigated him for suspending Justice Onnoghen on the basis of a valid order from the CCT.

    The group said: “We at BMO have every reason to demand an apology on the President’s behalf from everyone, including the latter-day rights activists who were actually paid hacks, and the real ones who failed in their duties to hold people in government accountable.

    “These are the people that used the traditional and social media to whip up enough sentiments that some members of the international community bought the lies and took the unusual step of upbraiding the Presidency in a move that amounted to interference in the country’s internal affairs.

    “The positive take away from this is that those who made genuine mistakes in misreading the situation would now see President Buhari from our own perspective as one who acts always in national interest, no matter whose ox is gored.”

  • Onnoghen’s resignation: Buhari is vindicated, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said on Friday that the resignation of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen has vindicated the action of the President and the stand of the party who earlier called for his resignation.

    Justice Onnoghen’s resignation is coming few hours after the National Judicial Council reportedly recommended to the President Muhammadu Buhari to retire him with full benefits.

    National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu told newsmen in his office that the resignation of the suspended CJN would have been the first step for him to take when it became obvious that he made a mistake of not properly declaring his assets as required by law.

    He said with the CJN standing trial for none declaration of assets and the previous trial of the Senate President for the same purpose, it is gradually becoming clear to public office holders that there is nobody above the law in the country.

    Onilu said a time is coming when a President who misbehaves will also be docked for wrong doing, stressing that all those who criticised the President for obeying the ruling of the Code of Conduct Tribunal will now realise that their action was not in their interest of the country.

    Onilu said: “The issue we have in this country is that, many people, especially those who have been part of the impunity of the past are struggling badly to adjust to the reality of rule of law. That is the major issue we are facing in this country.

    “There are so many struggles to allow the past. It is not good enough for us as a country to allow it go. All of us must rise and face the future; a future of promise and a future of change, so that we can move to the ‘Next Level’.

    “When this happened, the PDP and some of their allies in the Civil Societies read the barometer of politics and we do know that, until we rise above sentiments, no matter what part of the divide you find yourself, we must realise that this as an issue that has to do with our country. That is the only way we can progress.

    “We knew right from the beginning that what the allegations against the former Chief Justice of Nigeria were too serious to be swept under the carpet and we know that the President does not act on frivolities.

    “He must have done his background checks and must have gotten good information to have taken the action he took especially when there was basis for the action that can be legally proven.

    “Those lawyers, so-called Senior Advocate of Nigeria who had over the years dip their hands along with some of these judicial officers into the till of this country, continued to lampoon the President, lampoon the APC and blaming this government that is doing its best to right several of the wrongs that we have been used to.

    “We were actually the one trying to deepen democracy and this party rose in the defense of the President because we understand what the President was doing and that he meant well, and we know the real purpose that drives his actions.

    “Now, events have proven the President right. Events have proven the party, APC right. Events have proven those Nigerians who believe Nigeria first and any other things after – events have proven them right.

    “We all can only be hiding behind one finger, otherwise we knew Nigerians, reasonable Nigerians knew from the word go that those allegations were not cooked up and if they were real, the next thing for the CJN to have done was to have stepped aside. If he had done that, the question of, he wouldn’t be the only one, why he should not have arisen? There is nowhere in the world where judgment is passed on every sinner at once.

    “It is not every armed robber you can catch the same day. And even some you know, the slow pace of justice may not catch up with them immediately, but we must continue to see evidence that we are moving towards that sanity and that we are making progressive efforts and sending strong signals to people who think this country must continue as long as they are comfortable and the rest of Nigerians are suffering. We must send that signal to them that it is not going to be business as usual.

    Read Also: Suspended CJN, Onnoghen resigns

    “Now, you have seen the head of National Assembly, Senate President in the dock. Now, you have seen the CJN in the dock. So, one day, we will see a President that will also misbehaves, in the dock which now shows that nobody is above the law and that we are all equal before the law.

    “So, anybody who finds himself in any position should now begin to look closely at his own actions knowing fully well that today may protect him but tomorrow may expose him.”

    Also reacting to the development, the Buhari Media organisation the failure of Justice Walter Onnoghen (suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN) to declare his assets and thus breaching the Code of Conduct expected from Judicial Officers, among several other malfeasances and breach of the Money Laundering Act, are too grave to be treated with kids gloves.

    In statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, its Coordinator and Secretary respectively, noted that the offences that are being prosecuted and that have been petitioned against Justice Walter Onnoghen have tainted the sanctity of the judiciary and are not matters to be played with or treated with levity.

    “Justice Walter Onnoghen is alleged to have out rightly failed to

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  • Onnoghen: the man, the judge, the end

    Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, born December 22, 1950, started his career as a pupil state counsel between 1978 and 1979.

    He left public service to join the firm of Effiom Ekong & Company (1979 till 1988).

    He later became the Principal Partner at Walter Onnoghen & Associates, Calabar from 1988 to 1989.

    Soon after, he began a career on the Bench. As High Court judge of Cross Rivers State, he was made the Chairman of the state Armed Robbery and Firm Arms Tribunal, a post he held for three years between 1990 and 1993.

    In 1998, he served as the Chairman, Failed Banks Tribunal, Ibadan Zone.

    Onnoghen was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1998 from where he served until 2005 when he was elevated to the Supreme Court.

    In February 2016, Onnoghen led a seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court who reviewed and upheld the death sentence of Chukwuemeka Ezeugo (aka Rev. King) of the Christian Praying Assembly.

    In 2007, Justice Onnoghen played a huge role in 2007 election which saw the Late Umaru Yar’aduaas President of the federal republic of Nigeria.

    He had a dissenting judgment that annulled the presidential election. His position was, however, a minority judgment.

    Appointment as CJN

    Onnoghen’s confirmation as CJN was dogged by controversy following its protracted nature. The National Judicial Council (NJC), on October 10, 2016, recommended him to President Muhammadu Buhari, being the most senior at the Supreme Court after the retirement of Mohammed Mahmud.

    It took until February 7, 2017 for Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to transmit Onnoghen’s name to the senate for confirmation as substantive CJN.

    He was confirmed by the Senate on March 1, 2017 and sworn in on March 7, 2017.

    His trial

    Onnoghen made the unwanted history as the first CJN to be suspended and docked.

    Onnoghen’s trial started when a petition was filed by the civil rights group the Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI) at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

    It was alleged that he owned “sundry accounts primarily funded through cash deposits made by himself up to as recently as 10 August 2016, which appear to have been run in a manner inconsistent with financial transparency and the code of conduct for public officials.”

    The trial commenced January 14 but Onnoghen was absent. It was then adjourned to the following week because Onnoghen faulted the summons procedure.

    The next hearing was slated for January 22 but he failed to show up in court again. Following his absence again, President Buhari suspended him on January 26 and appointed Tanko Ibrahim as Acting CJN.

    Onnoghen’s office was thereafter sealed by the police, which sparked outrage by lawyers and politicians.

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar described Onnoghen’s suspension as “dictatorship taken too far” but Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, accused those criticising President Buhari over Onnoghen’s suspension as hypocrites.

    In the course of the saga, different courts gave orders of injunction against his arrest and prosecution, most of which where subsisting before the CCT order that led to his suspension.

    Read Also: Onnoghen’s resignation: Buhari is vindicated, says APC

    Following Onnoghen’s suspension on January 25, the United States issued a statement on the development, with Osinbajo saying he was not aware of the former CJN’s planned prosecution.

    Even the Senate weighed, challenging Onnoghen’s suspension at the Supreme Court. Onnoghen sued the Federal Government over his suspension but lost his bid to stop his CCT trial at the CCT, which ordered his arrest, forcing him to appear for his arraignment, which took place on February 15.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on February 7, said it traced $30,000 paid to Onnoghen’s account paid to him by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

    The CCT, on March 29, dismissed Onnoghen’s no-case submission, following which he opened his defence, calling only one witness. He closed his defence on April 3.

    After NJC recommended him for retirement, Onnoghen tendered his resignation before the President could act on the recommendation.

    The case against Onnoghen

    The NJC reached the decision to suspend Onnoghen after reviewing damning evidence by EFCC against him, argued by two brilliant prosecuting counsel Ekene Iheanacho and Rotimi Oyedepo.

    They argued successfully that Onnoghen violated the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.

    He was accused of infidelity to the Constitution and violation of other laws prohibiting economic and financial related offences.

    EFCC said he could not prove the legitimate source or origin of the sum of $1,716,000.00 found in his account.

    “The respondent, who never declared having $1,716,000.00 in his asset declaration form as cash in hand, wanted this honourable Panel to believe that he accumulated the said sum in his house and only deposited them in the bank between 2009 and 2016 in cash.

    “My lords, the respondent also attempted to suggest to the Honourable Panel that the $1,716,000.00 cash deposit was earned by him upon his part-time appointment as Justice of the Supreme Court of Gambia.

    My”My lords, this explanation with due respect is laughable in that the Respondent was appointed on the 22nd day of November, 2012.

    “On the face of the appointment letter, it is clear that the Respondent is entitled to the 5,000 GBP and 22,000 Dalasis which is payable per session to be determined by the Chief Justice of Gambia in line with the Rules of the Supreme Court of Gambia.

    “The respondent failed to show this panel that consequent upon his appointment in November, 2012 and the assumption of that office in 2013 the number of sessions he sat as a member of the Supreme Court of Gambia.

    “The respondent also failed to state how much he earned from Gambia, how he was paid whether cash or through his account. What is clear is that if the respondent is to earn any fee from Gambia it will be GBP and not USD. What is in issue is the USD paid in exhibit P4C.”

    EFCC also questioned a Mercedes Benz GL 450 worth N7, 000,000.00 from

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