Nigeria (CJN), over his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT),
as well as the tribunal’s order for his suspension.
Onnoghen is standing trial before the CCT over allegations of fraudulent
declaration of assets.
This is the third time the appeals have been adjourned.
At an earlier sitting on February 12, 2019, the case was adjourned as the
three-man panel led by Justice Abdul Aboki did not form a quorum.
At another sitting on February 15, 2019, Oyin Koleosho, counsel to the
Nigerian government, applied for an adjournment to allow Onnoghen’s
prosecutor the opportunity to take charge of the case, in line with a
directive by Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Attorney-General of the
Federation. The request for adjournment was granted till Wednesday,
February 20, 2019.
However, at the resumed sitting on Wednesday, Umar asked for another
adjournment for amendment of various parts of the papers filed by the
lawyers from the Federal Ministry of Justice, as well as a response to a
fourth appeal.
The appeals bordered on jurisdiction of the CCT to hear the case, the
legality of the ex parte order upon which Onnoghen was suspended by
President Muhammadu Buhari, the refusal of the CCT on the rulings by the
Federal High Court and the National Industrial Court to halt the trial,
and the warrant issued for the suspended CJN’s arrest. Although, the CCT
has withdrawn the warrant for his arrest as Onnoghen appeared before the
Tribunal on February 15, 2019.
The appeals were adjourned till February 27 for hearing.