![[BREAKING] False Assets Declaration: Appeal Court Discharges, Acquits Ex-CJN Onnoghen](https://naijanewsthrill.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Walter-Onnoghen.jpg)
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has acquitted former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, of the conviction related to false asset declaration imposed by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
On January 25, 2019, just 29 days before the presidential election, former President Muhammadu Buhari suspended Onnoghen from his position as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and appointed Justice Tanko Muhammad, the next most senior judge of the Supreme Court, to lead the judiciary.
This suspension occurred shortly after Onnoghen announced his intention to inaugurate judges for election petition tribunals.
The decision by Ex-President Buhari sparked a range of responses from various sectors, with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) labeling it a coup against the judiciary.
Subsequently, Onnoghen was convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on six counts of corruption brought against him by the Federal Government, which included allegations of false declarations to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Fast forward nearly six years post-conviction, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, headed by Justice Mohammed Bello, acquitted the former CJN following a settlement agreement reached with the federal government.
President Bola Tinubu, through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, successfully urged the appellate court to suspend further proceedings on three separate appeals filed by Onnoghen regarding his removal, conviction, and asset seizure.
In accordance with the settlement terms dated October 24, the appellate court directed the federal government to promptly unfreeze Onnoghen’s account with Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, which was based on a settlement agreement between the federal government and Onnoghen, it was ordered that the four bank accounts previously subject to forfeiture be returned to him.
Onnoghen’s legal representatives, Adegboyega Awomolo and Ogwu James Onoja, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), issued a brief statement expressing their appreciation to President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation for facilitating the resolution of this matter.
