In a surprising development, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) informed the Court of Appeal in Abuja that it does not have the case file for the trial of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen. Despite the trial concluding five years ago, this revelation came during a session on Tuesday.
Onnoghen was prosecuted in 2019 for false declaration of assets, leading to his removal from office by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). The tribunal also ordered him to forfeit his undeclared assets to the government.
Tijani Gazali, SAN, representing the federal government, explained that the case was handled by the now-deceased private lawyer Aliyu Umar, SAN, based in Kano. As a result, the government currently has no documents related to the trial. Gazali requested an adjournment to retrieve the necessary documents from Umar’s chambers, noting that the new AGF is also exploring an amicable resolution.
Onnoghen’s lawyer, Chris Uche, SAN, disputed this claim, stating that some documents had already been served to and acknowledged by the AGF. He successfully requested an accelerated hearing, which Justice C. I. Jombo Ofo scheduled for September 19. Onnoghen is appealing to overturn the CCT’s judgment that led to his removal and the forfeiture of his five bank accounts.
