Former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen is appealing his 2019 conviction, asserting that the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) acted outside its jurisdiction and violated his right to a fair hearing. Onnoghen, who arrived at the Abuja Appeal Court for the hearing, is seeking to overturn the ruling that led to his removal from office.
In 2019, the CCT, led by Danladi Umar, removed Onnoghen from his position for allegedly breaching the code of conduct for public officers. The tribunal also stripped him of all official roles, including his chairmanship of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Federal Judicial Service Commission, and ordered the forfeiture of five bank accounts not declared in his asset forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Onnoghen, through his lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, argues that the NJC, not the CCT, has the authority to investigate and discipline justices for misconduct. He is requesting that the appellate court quash the CCT’s ruling, reverse his conviction, and restore his assets.
