The Court of Appeal in Abuja has approved a proposal from the Federal Government to settle out of court with former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, who is contesting his abrupt removal from office in 2019. The decision was delivered on Thursday by a three-member panel of judges led by Justice Joseph Oyewole.
Onnoghen, the 21st CJN, was removed by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) after being convicted of failing to declare his assets while serving as a public official. The tribunal, led by Danladi Umar, also ordered the forfeiture of five of Onnoghen’s bank accounts. Displeased with the ruling, Onnoghen swiftly lodged an appeal, although the case only came up for hearing this year, with the first session held on August 20, 2024.
At Thursday’s resumed hearing, both sides indicated that discussions for an amicable settlement were progressing. Onnoghen’s lawyer, Dr. Ogwu Onoja, informed the panel that the parties had been in dialogue up until the previous day and expressed optimism about reaching an agreement. He requested a one-month adjournment to finalise the settlement terms. Federal Government counsel, Tijani Gazali (SAN), supported this request, confirming that the government was in favour of resolving the matter outside the courtroom.
In response, Justice Oyewole granted the adjournment and directed both parties to present their settlement terms by November 19, 2024, for possible adoption as the court’s final judgment.
Onnoghen’s 2019 removal, ordered by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, followed his conviction on charges of false asset declaration, a verdict that caused widespread controversy and sparked debate over the independence of Nigeria’s judiciary.
