FG, Ex-CJN Onnoghen To Settle Out Of Court

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has approved the Federal Government and Justice Walter Onnoghen‘s request to resolve their appeal about his dismissal as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) without going to trial.

Naijaonpoint reports that the ruling came after it was revealed that both sides in the case were actively trying to find a peaceful solution to their disagreements.

Recall that in 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari dismissed Onnoghen while facing a disciplinary case at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

However, during the appeal hearing on Thursday, September 19, 2024, the lawyer representing Onnoghen, Dr Ogwu James Onoja, told the three-judge panel of the Appeal Court that the parties were in talks for a peaceful resolution.

Onoja shared that discussions had taken place up until Wednesday, September 18, and there was hope that they would lead to a positive outcome.

The lead lawyer then asked the appellate court to delay the case for one month to allow for a final agreement.

The lawyer for the Federal Government, Tijani Gazali, supported Onoja’s request and suggested that the case be expedited to encourage a peaceful settlement.

“My Lords, I wish to humbly confirm the information. It is our position to settle the matter out of court,” he said.

Justice J. O. Oyewole, who led the court session on Thursday, instructed the parties involved to submit the terms of their agreement for adoption once they were mutually agreed upon.

Justice Oyewole emphasized that the agreement’s terms needed to be recorded and submitted before the court’s adjournment for it to be considered as its final decision in the case.

He then scheduled November 4 for the two sides to return.

In 2019, Onnoghen faced legal action by the federal government for falsely reporting his assets at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, resulting in his conviction and subsequent removal from his position.

He was also required to return any assets he had not declared to the federal government.

Unlike the case on August 20, where Onnoghen was present to testify during his appeal, in which he is seeking to have the decision of the CCT to remove him from office overturned and to have his five bank accounts returned to him, he was not present in court for this purpose.