The Court of Appeal in Abuja has granted the request of the Federal Government and former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, to pursue an out-of-court settlement regarding the appeal challenging his removal from office.
This decision comes after both parties indicated progress towards an amicable resolution of the issues in dispute. Former President Muhammadu Buhari removed Onnoghen from his position as CJN in 2019 while a charge was pending against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
During Thursday’s proceedings, Onnoghen’s lead counsel, Ogwu Onoja, informed the court that discussions between the two parties were ongoing, aimed at a peaceful settlement. He requested a one-month adjournment to finalize the matter.
Counsel for the Federal Government, Tijani Gazali, supported this request, and both parties agreed to work towards an amicable resolution. Justice J. O. Oyewole, presiding over the case, directed that the terms of the settlement be documented and filed with the court ahead of the next hearing. He emphasized that once the terms are agreed upon, they will be adopted as the court’s judgment in the case.
The court subsequently set November 4th as the new date for the parties to present the finalized settlement.
Justice Onnoghen was prosecuted in 2019 by the Federal Government for false asset declaration at the CCT. He was found guilty, removed from office, and ordered to forfeit his undeclared assets. Unlike the previous hearing on August 20, Onnoghen was not present in court for this session, where he is appealing the CCT’s ruling that led to his removal and the forfeiture of his five bank accounts.
