The National Judicial Council (NJC) on Tuesday gave the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, and the acing CJN, Tanko Mohammad, seven days to respond to petitions written against them.
The body of Nigerian judges gave the ultimatum during an emergency meeting which took place in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, four days after the suspension of Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that President Buhari last week Friday suspended the CJN on alleged order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) based on allegations that he violated the code of conduct for public officers by not declaring his assets as required by law.
Justice Muhammad was sworn in on Friday as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Read communique from the meeting as released by the council’s director of information, Soji Oye (Esq) below:
NJC ends Emergency Meeting
…Gives Hon. Mr. Justice W.S.N. Onnoghen, GCON and Hon. Mr. Justice I.T. Muhammad, CFR seven (7) working days to respond to petitions.
…Refers petition against CCT Chairman, Danladi Yakubu Umar to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).
…To reconvene on 11th February, 2019.
The National Judicial Council held an Emergency Meeting today and considered four (4) petitions filed at its Secretariat. The petitions are:
Petition against Hon. Mr. Justice W.S.N. Onnoghen, GCON by Zikhrillahi Ibrahim of Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civil Education;
Petition against Hon. Mr. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, CFR by Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative;
Petition against Hon. Mr. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, CFR by Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, OON; and
Petition against Hon. Danladi Yakubu Umar, Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal by Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative.
Council referred the petition against Hon. Danladi Yakubu Umar to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) which is the appropriate constitutional body empowered to deal with it.
In line with its procedure, Council also forwarded the petitions against Hon. Justices W.S.N. Onnoghen, GCON and I. T. Muhammad, CFR to them for their responses.
In view of the gravity of the matters involved, Council abridged the usual response period from fourteen (14) to seven (7) working days for the Hon. Justices to respond.
Hon. Mr. Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen, GCON and Hon. Mr. Justice I.T. Muhammad, CFR recused themselves from the meeting. Consequently, Council elected Hon. Mr. Justice Umaru Abdullahi, CON, former President of the Court of Appeal as Interim Chairman to preside over the meeting.
Council will reconvene on the 11th February, 2019.
