The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Samuel Onnoghen has asked the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to adjourn sine die (indefinitely) the case of non-declaration of assets filed against him.
His counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) made this application after bringing to the attention of the tribunal, several interim orders of several courts restraining the tribunal from going ahead with the case.
He added that the Court of Appeal is also seized of the matter and has subsequently adjourned to January 24 to hear an appeal against the January 14 ruling of the tribunal whereas the tribunal ordered that the motion filed by the prosecution on January 11 to be taken together with the motion filed by the defendant challenging the jurisdiction and competence of the tribunal to adjudicate the charge.
On the application to adjourn the case sine die, prosecution counsel, Aliyu Umar (SAN) said Supreme Court had ruled that the tribunal is not subjected to the supervision of any (high) court, but that of the Court of Appeal.
He said the prosecution is not seeking for the removal of the defendant as the CJN and Chairman of NJC but the application is only seeking for him to step down in line with the decision of the NJC that judges accused of corruption should step aside pending the determination of the cases against them.
As at the time of filing this report, the prosecutor is still responding to the application made by the defendant.
Details later…
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