The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja, has ordered for the arrest of suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen. The arrest is for the CJN to be produced for trial on Friday February 15th.
CCT chairman, Mr. Danladi Umar, gave the directory to the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Service, DSS.
The order for Onnoghen’s arrest comes after an application the Federal Government made for a bench warrant to be issued against him for his refusal to come before the tribunal to answer to allegations of non-disclosure of his assets after he assumed office in March 2017.
At the resumed hearing in the case against Onnoghen Wednesday, February 13, counsel to the Federal government, Aliyu Umar, relied on section 6 (1) of the CCT Practice Direction and section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, to apply for a bench warrant against the defendant.
“May I draw your attention and the honorable members to the fact that the defendant is not in court today. I hereby humbly apply for a warrant of arrest against the defendant”, Umar stated.
However, counsel to the embattled CJN, Chief Adegboyega Awolowo, SAN, urged the tribunal to refuse the application and proceed with hearing Onnoghen’s motion challenging the jurisdiction of the CCT and legal competence of the charge against him.
After hearing the arguments of both counsels, Justice Danladi issued the benchwarrant for the CJN to be produced in court by Friday January 15th.
