CCT removes Onnoghen from Office, ban him from public office and freeze his account

The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja on Thursday 18, April in its judgment over alleged non-asset declaration against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, banned him from holding public office for 10 years.

The CCT also removed Onnoghen from office as the Chief Justice of Nigeria and chairman, National Judicial Council, NJ. The suspended CJN’s properties has been confiscated, seized and forfeited all his monies deposited in his Standard Chartered Bank accounts located in Wuse 2, Abuja.

In his judgment, chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar said the monies in the affected five bank accounts were acquired illegally, particularly as Onnoghen was said able to have not proved his source of income for the seized monies beyond all reasonable doubts.

Delivering its judgement on Thursday, the three-man panel chaired by Danladi Umar said the prosecution proved Onnoghen’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Therefore, it convicted him and removed him from office as Chief Justice of Nigeria, as Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), and as Chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).

It would be recalled that this trial lasted about three months within which period, Onnoghen has been in defence of the allegations of non-asset declaration and maintenance of domiciliary accounts contrary to the provision of the law regarding public officers.