Ex-Chief Justice, Onnoghen, Tribunal Case File Disappears From AG’s Office
The Code of Conduct Tribunal Case File of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, has suddenly disappeared from the Office of the Attorney General.
This much was communicated to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Tuesday, by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The AGF’s office stated that it no longer had possession of the case file for the trial of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen.
Recall that the trial of Onnoghen was concluded five years back, in 2019, on counts of false declaration of assets.
Onnoghen was found guilty by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and subsequently removed from office.
The ex CJN was also ordered to forfeit undeclared assets to the federal government.
However, at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, legal representative of the federal government, Tijani Gazali, SAN, disclosed that no documents relating to Onnoghen’s trial were available in the Federal Ministry of Justice.
According to Gazali, the trial was handled by Kano-based private lawyer Aliyu Umar, SAN, who is now deceased.
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Gazali prayed the Court to adjourn the case in order to give the government ample time to recover the necessary documents from chambers of the late Umar.
On the other hand, legal counsel to Onnoghen, Chris Uche, SAN, disputed that some documents had already been served and acknowledged by the AGF.
Uche praye the court for a speedy hearing, a motion which was not objected by the Federal Government and which was granted by the court.
Onnoghen is looking to overturn the judgment of the CCT that ousted him from office and forfeited his five bank accounts.
Presiding over the panel, Justice C. I. Jombo Ofo, slated September 19 for the accelerated hearing.
