Fani-Kayode Reacts
Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has condemned the move by the Federal Government to forcefully remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN),Justice Walter Onnoghen, from office.
In a statement on his Facebook page on Saturday, Fani-Kayode said:
“Deji Adeyanju in custody and being framed with murder.
“Dino Melaye in custody and being framed with attempted murder.
“Doyin Okupe in custody and being framed with corruption.
“Sambo Dasuki in custody and being framed with corruption.
“Ibrahim El Zak Zaky in custody and being framed with murder.
“Nnamdi Kanu in exile and being framed with treason.
“Meanwhile the Chief Justice of the Federation has been added to the list. Buhari has directed that he should vacate his seat and prepare for arraignment on criminal charges on Monday.
“This is all part of a well-crafted script. The bitter truth is that democracy is dead in Nigeria. If anyone thinks that Buhari intends to leave power this year or anytime in the near future they need to think again”.
The government has filed criminal charges against the CJN and has concluded plans to arraign him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on Monday, January 14.
According to a release by PRNigeria on Saturday, the government has also asked Onnoghen to vacate office as CJN.
Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) reacts:
I speak not only as a lawyer but as one who has the love of this country at heart.
Whosoever that advised that charges be filed against the Chief Justice of Nigeria before the CCT has done incalculable damages and fatal blow to this government.
The person may be a saboteur and an enemy of this country. The person should have his brain examined.
It is both legal and political suicide to file these charges. It is unfortunately the most ill advised and misguided adventure I have ever seen.
The filing of these charges is most unreasonable and a suicidal misadventure of 21st century Nigeria. It is the most unreasonable thing to do. Not all fights are profitable.
This is the most unprofitable fight to embark upon. The judicial arm of government is a critical partner in the fight against corruption. It is the only arm that can give legitimacy to the fight against corruption.
The filing of these charges is reckless in the extreme and done in sabotage of the efforts to fight corruption.This is sad indeed. I say nothing more. Those who have ears to hear let them hear.
Jibrin Okutepa
Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen: The full corruption charges.
The Code of Conduct Bureau has slammed corruption charges against the Chief Justice of Nigeria at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, court documents showed.
Walter Onnoghen became the Chief Justice in March 2017, less than six months after the homes of several federal judges, including those of the Supreme Court, were searched in an anti-corruption raid.
On January 10, the Nigerian government filed charges against the head of the country’s judicial arm, accusing him of asset declaration offences.
The government said it was only in 2016 after the controversial crackdown on judges that Mr Onnoghen partially declared his asset, but still failed to declare a series of bank accounts, denominated in local and foreign currencies, linked to him at a Standard Chartered Bank branch in Abuja.
The government consequently filed six charges of non and fraudulent declaration of assets by Mr Onnoghen, with trial expected to commence on January 14 at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The CCT said in a separate statement Saturday afternoon that trial would commence on Monday at the premises of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jabi, commercial neighbourhood in Abuja.
A spokesperson for the Supreme Court did not immediately return requests for comments Saturday afternoon.
The trial could further strain relations between the judicial and the executive arms of the federal government, which had been largely tense since the raid on federal judges’s homes in October 2016.
Two judges of the Supreme Court were amongst those whose houses were raided. They were charged for corruption, but none of them has been found guilty of wrongdoing.
PREMIUM TIMES obtained copies of the January 10 charges on Saturday.
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