National Judicial Council asks Buhari to retire Onnoghen after reading EFCC report on his conduct

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been advised by the National Judicial Council (NJC) to retire embattled chief judge of Nigeria Justice Walter Onnoghen based on incontrovertible findings by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC).

In January this year, President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the embattled Justice Onnoghen and replaced him with Justice Tanko Mohammed, who was sworn-in as the acting chief judge of Nigeria (CJN). Over recent months, Justice Onnoghen has been involved in intense political jockeying with the government that involved him being charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) with false asset declaration.

Apart from allegations that he failed to declare his assets as prescribed by the law, in the six-count charge, Justice Onnoghen is also accused of operating five foreign bank accounts, contrary to section 15(2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. During his ongoing trial, a petition sent in by civil society group Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative, which included two asset declaration forms submitted by Justice Onnoghen in 2014 and 2015, was admitted as evidence.

As the saga tears the Nigerian judiciary apart with many accusing the government of interfering in its independence, the NJC queried both Justices Onnoghen and Mohammed for their roles in the debacle. After meeting on the matter again yesterday, the NJC recommended the compulsory retirement of Justice Onnoghen and called on President Buhari to give effect to the recommendation immediately.

However, the NJC urged the president to allow Justice Onnoghen retain his seat as a former CJN in the Council of State. Putting its recommendations to the president together in a letter, which has been sent to Aso Rock, the NJC also said Justice Onnoghen  should be retired with full benefits.

One NJC source said: “The NJC has been able to navigate the most challenging moment for the nation’s judiciary by recommending the compulsory retirement of Onnoghen with full benefits. The NJC specifically demanded that the CJN be allowed to take his eminent position in the Council of State like his predecessors and if these recommendations are accepted, the executive may be on the same page with the judiciary by staying action on the ongoing trial and other pending trials of the CJN."

Another source added that the NJC arrived at its decision because the EFCC’s report on Justice Onnoghen was damning and incontrovertible. According to the EFCC, Justice Onnoghen was in possession of funds which are fairly not attributable to his known, provable and legitimate source of income.

Also, the opening of a dollar account at Standard Chartered Bank for the CJN by a lawyer Joe Agi, with $30,000 was said to be unhealthy. In addition, the EFCC accused Justice Onnoghen of being unable to account for curious deposits in his accounts, alleging that deposits had accumulated to $1,716,000.