Court to FG, CCT: Stop Onnoghen’s trial

A Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Abuja and presided over by Hon Justice E. N. Maha has granted an ex-parte injunction restraining the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) from proceeding with the hearing of the case involving the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before it (FHC).
The injunction has stopped the Federal Government’s plan to arraign Onnoghen, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal which was, on Monday, fixed for January 22.
The Federal Government through the Code of Conduct Bureau filed six counts of non-declaration of assets against the CJN on Friday.
Onnoghen was absent in court on Monday but was represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), 43 SANs and 40 lawyers.
Ruling on two ex-parte applications on Monday, Justice N.E  Maha, ordered parties to maintain status quo till January 17.
He ruled in the two suits that the defendants should be served with all the papers filed and they should appear in court at the next hearing.
One of the two suits marked FHC/ABJ/CS/27/2019 was filed by incorporated ‎trustees of the Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative.
Those joined as defendants in the suit, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Chairman of CCT, Danladi Umar; the National Judicial Council, the Inspector-General of Police, ‎Mr. Ibrahim Idris, and the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
The other suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/28/2019 was filed by the incorporated ‎trustees of the International Association of Students Economists and Management.
The suit has as defendants Malami; the CCT, the CCB, the Chairman of CCT, Umar; and the Inspector-General of Police, ‎Idris.
While the ex parte application in the suit FHC/ABJ/CS/27/2019 was moved by Mr. R.A Lawal-Rabana (SAN), before Justice Maha on Monday, the ex parte application filed in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/28/2019 ‎was moved by Mr. Jeph Njikonye.
The applications were filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja when the CCT proceedings were ongoing.
Justice Maha ruled that no steps should be taken in respect of the trial until January 17 when all parties to the two suits should return to court for the hearing of the plaintiffs’ motion on notice.
The hearing took place shortly after the CCT proceedings ended on Monday.