The Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged and acquitted former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, of the charges that led to his removal from office in 2019.
This ruling comes nearly six years after Onnoghen was suspended by former President Muhammadu Buhari, just 29 days before the presidential election. Buhari’s decision to suspend Onnoghen and appoint Justice Tanko Muhammad as the new Chief Justice was controversial and sparked significant backlash, with many, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), calling it a coup against the judiciary.
Onnoghen was previously convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on six counts of corruption, primarily for allegedly making false declarations to the Code of Conduct Bureau. However, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Mohammed Bello, found in favor of Onnoghen following a settlement agreement reached between him and the federal government.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration, represented by Attorney-General Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had requested the appellate court to halt further proceedings on the three appeals Onnoghen had filed regarding his removal, conviction, and asset seizure. The court also ordered the federal government to unfreeze Onnoghen’s bank account with Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited as part of the settlement.