There have been questions about the legality of Walter Onnoghen’s suspension by President Buhari - Office of the AGF sent a list of criminal allegations against Onnoghen, the suspended CJN, to the National Judicial Council - Insiders at the Ministry of Justice said the petition contains a number of damaging allegations against the suspended CJN Emerging reports by The Cable have claimed that the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) has sent a list of criminal allegations against suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Water Onnoghen to the National Judicial Council (NJC).
The reports further claimed that insiders at the Ministry of Justice said the petition contains a number of damaging allegations against the CJN, including bank statements and title deeds of properties said to have been traced to him. A senior official of the ministry said:
“The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) did not file these criminal allegations against the CJN at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) because it is a separate issue from non-declaration of assets.
"Nevertheless, the more serious criminal allegations have now been fully investigated. These allegations point to unexplained wealth.
"The entire bundle has been sent to the NJC so that the body can do its job and allow Onnoghen to face criminal prosecution. That is a completely different matter from the case of non-declaration of assets before the CCT." Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that more details as to why the federal government did not wait for the court to give its verdict on the suspended CJN emerged in Abuja on Saturday, January 26. Justice Onnoghen was expected to officially set up on Saturday, a panel of judges (250 in number) that will preside over the conduct of the forthcoming general elections.
Revealing that the said judges had arrived Abuja hoping that the panel would be inaugurated, a source said: "His sudden removal was aimed at either stopping the event or removing some judges on the lists. That is what will happen." In a related development, a front-line lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, condemned the decision by the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria Onnoghen to challenge his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Falana who made this known on Sunday, January 27, pointed out that Onnoghen himself stated during the case of Senate President Bukola Saraki and the federal government that the CCT was the only forum empowered to try public office holders.
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