Five Years After, AGF Has No CCT Case File On Ex-CJN Onnoghen’s Trial
Five years after the conclusion of the trial of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Nkanu Onneghen by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF) is yet to be availed of the case file.
The Office of the AGF shocked the Court of Appeal on Tuesday when it said that it was not in possession of the case file that was used for the trial of Justice Onnoghen as a sitting CJN.
Justice Onnoghen was prosecuted in 2019 by the Federal Government over allegation of bothering on false declaration of assets at the CCT and was found guilty and removed from office even after he resigned his position.
The Tribunal presided over by Umar Danladi also ruled that Justice Onneghen should forfeit the undeclared assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
At the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, Counsel to the Federal Government, Tijani Gazali (SAN), told the appellate court that not a single paper in respect of the trial and conviction of the ex-CJN was with the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Gazali further told the three-man panel of Justices of the Appeal Curt billed to hear the appeal of Onnoghen that the trial of the former CJN was contracted to a Kano-based private lawyer, Aliyu Umar, SAN.
Gazali further said that Umar, SAN, who was the private senior lawyer who prosecuted the case from the beginning to the end, died four years ago.
Gazali therefore appealed to the Court to grant an adjournment to enable the federal government approach the chambers of the late Umar to retrieve the necessary documents needed to respond to the appeal filed by Justice Onnoghen.
In the words of Gazali; “Virtually all the processes served on the AGF in 2019 were taken to a private lawyer. Besides, the matter is being looked into from another perspective with a view to working out an amicable resolution of the issues in dispute by the new Attorney General of the Federation”.
But, Counsel to the former CJN, Chris Uche, SAN, told the Appeal Court that some documents were served on the AGF office and acknowledged.
Uche therefore prayed the Court to allow him to move an application for an accelerated hearing, which was granted upon no objections from the Federal Government.
Accordingly, Justice C. I. Jombo Ofo, who presided over the matter, granted an accelerated hearing and subsequently fixed September 19 for the hearing of the appeal.
The former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who was in court to witness the proceedings, is praying the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgement of the CCT that removed him from office as well as ordered the forfeiture of his five bank accounts.
