Nigeria’s Former CJN Speaks On His Removal From Office

The former Chief Justice of Nigeria,
Walter Onnoghen, CJN, on Friday opened up on why the Federal Government removed him from office in 2019 unceremoniously.

Onnoghen said he was removed from office due to rumours from the Executive that he had a meeting with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, preparatory to the 2019 general elections.

The former CJN said the rumour was thick and spread fast but he decided not to react to it because he never travelled to Dubai or held any meeting with anybody, including Atiku.

Onnoghen have the revelation at a book launch titled ‘Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, Practice, Procedure, Forms and Precedents’, authored by a renowned legal luminary, Chief Ogwu James Onoja, in Abuja.

He expressed surprise that though the Federal Government had all the machinery to investigate the allegation, it never did, but opted to unlawfully come after him and his office.

Onnoghen said the situation got to the peak when all of a sudden, his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal was arranged, even when he had not been invited or accused of any wrongdoing.

He also lamented that democracy was dead in Nigeria without courageous judges.

His words: “Prior to my suspension, I was confronted with no allegation. There were rumours that I met with Atiku in Dubai. As I am talking here today, I have never met Atiku one on one in my life. As if that was not enough, I was also accused of setting free, high-profile criminals, whereas I seized to be a High Court Judge as far back as 1978.

“In the Supreme Court, I did not sit alone. We sit in panels. In all these rumours and outright accusations, I was not given the opportunity to defend myself.

“Let me make it clear that the office of the CJN was not for Onnoghen but for all Nigerians who had sworn to guide and protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.