Court Acquits Former CJN Onnoghen of Asset Declaration Conviction

|By Adejumo Adekunle-

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged and acquitted former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, overturning his 2019 conviction for false asset declaration by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Justice Onnoghen’s conviction, initially handed down on April 18, 2019, by the Umar Yakubu Danladi-led tribunal, was nullified after the appellate court addressed the legal issues surrounding his trial and conviction.

Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, delivering the judgment, based his ruling on terms of settlement reached between the federal government and Onnoghen. He ordered the return of four bank accounts previously seized in connection with the case.

Onnoghen’s lawyers, Adegboyega Awomolo and Ogwu James Onoja, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), issued a statement expressing gratitude to President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) for their roles in resolving the matter.