-by Ogbeni Olawale Dawodu
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged and acquitted former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, of his conviction for false asset declaration by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Onnoghen’s conviction, delivered on April 18, 2019, by the tribunal led by Danladi Umar, was overturned by the appellate court after addressing the issues that had initially led to his trial and conviction.
Delivering the judgment, Presiding Justice Abba Mohammed noted that the court was acting on the terms of a settlement adopted by the federal government and Onnoghen. As part of the ruling, Justice Mohammed ordered that the four bank accounts previously forfeited by the former Chief Justice be returned to him.
Following the judgment, Onnoghen’s counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, expressed gratitude for the resolution.
“We appreciate President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation for their roles in ensuring this matter was resolved fairly,” Awomolo stated.
