By Samaila Emmanuel Bzugu
The Federal Government and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, have been granted permission by the Court of Appeal in Abuja to settle their dispute out of court. This development comes after the two parties intensified efforts to reach an amicable settlement of all issues in dispute.
The dispute began in 2019 when former President Muhammadu Buhari removed Onnoghen as the CJN during the pendency of a charge against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Onnoghen was found guilty and removed from office, and was also made to forfeit the undeclared assets to the Federal Government.
During the latest proceedings, lead counsel for Onnoghen, Ogwu Onoja, informed the court that the parties are discussing a peaceful resolution. Onoja requested a one-month adjournment for final settlement, which was corroborated by counsel for the Federal Government, Tijani Gazali.
Interestingly, Onnoghen was not present in court for this appeal, where he is seeking to set aside the CCT judgment that removed him from office and ordered the forfeiture of his five bank accounts. This out-of-court settlement marks a significant development in the case
Justice J. O. Oyewole directed the parties to file terms of settlement for adoption when agreed upon, emphasizing that the terms must be documented and filed before the adjourned date. The court set November 4 as the return date for the two parties.
Interestingly, Onnoghen was not present in court for this appeal, where he is seeking to set aside the CCT judgment that removed him from office and ordered the forfeiture of his five bank accounts. This out-of-court settlement marks a significant development in the case.
