Lawyers representing the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, on Thursday visited the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, as part of moves to stop the arraignment of the embattled CJN, Saturday PUNCH can reveal.

The meeting followed another one they allegedly held with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Sources told our correspondent that the visit to Kyari by the team was led by Onnoghen’s lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who is a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Olanipekun was also Muhammadu Buhari’s lead counsel when the President faced accusations of certificate forgery in court.

One of the lawyers told our correspondent that the main aim of the meeting was to stop Onnoghen’s arraignment on Monday.

Already, Onnoghen has been served with a notice of hearing by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, which means by law he is mandated to appear at the CCT on Monday.

A source at the meeting said, “We met with Abba Kyari around 10pm on Thursday because we knew he would guarantee our access to the President.

“Our aim is to protect the exalted office of the CJN. The CJN must not sit in the dock on Monday, because doing such will demystify that office. The National Judicial Council is already attending to the case and a decision will be taken next week.

“All we are asking is that the case on Monday be delayed until after the NJC has made recommendations and in the event that he is recommended for dismissal, let him resign honourably and let the charges against him be withdrawn.”

The source said Kyari was told that although the allegation that the CJN failed to declare the assets in question was true, it was not true that Onnoghen had 50 houses as reported by some sections of the press.

He said, “Kyari said he would relay our message to the President. However, he did not hesitate to inform us that the President did not want Onnoghen back as the head of the nation’s judiciary.”

When asked if the visit would not appear as a perversion of justice, the source said, “The CCT is under the Presidency. The CCT chairman is also facing charges of corruption by the EFCC. The way the CCT chairman has been behaving shows that Onnoghen’s coffin has already been nailed.”

Meanwhile, Onnoghen has been served with a hearing notice by the CCT, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

The notice obtained by our correspondent is dated January 31, 2019.

It reads in part, “Take notice that the above mentioned case (Federal Republic of Nigeria and Justice Onnoghen) has been listed for hearing at the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting at CCT Head office/court complex situated at Plot 89 Sector Centre B Cadastral Zone B 16, Solomon Lae Way, beside FCT High Court, Jabi, Abuja on February 4, 2018.”

Onnoghen has been absent from the CCT since the case started on January 14.

However, with the notice of hearing now served on him, the suspended CJN must be present at the tribunal.

Attempts to speak with Olanipekun were not successful as he neither responded to telephone calls nor text message on Friday.

https://punchng.com/onnoghens-lawyers-move-to-stop-arraignment-monday-%e2%80%a2cjns-lawyers-lobby-abba-kyari/

These people are mad. Mr President I am warning you in advance, anything short of Onnoghen appearing in the Dock on Monday will cause you to loose my support.

What do Olanikpekun and his three man committee mean? Now I know the reason why they were set up by the NBA to interface with the Executive as reflected in their NEC meeting resolution.

Why the initial IGG?

APC and lies

slivertongue:
APC and lies

Where are the lies? The Nation carried the story of their visit to vice president with a similar request last week and up till it has not been refuted. Then this one by punch and you are saying lies

The nation? punch? daily trust? the sun? ...

lol.. politics.. very interesting

I dey laugh

OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT CEREMONY OF CORRUPTION

All these charade will end soon.


The guy above me why are you using several alternate monicas at the same time. Do you know it's against nairaland rules

He should be there to prove his "innocence" naaaa. Kini big deal? That should be his major concern.

Buhari is not just a degrace but All Apc member's that put this upon Nigeria's

The lawlessness continue.

When the President attended an NBA program and told a congregation of Lawyers that National interest supersedes the rules of law.

Our supposed learned colleagues cheered him.

now, Same National interest has come back to haunt them.

Lobbying The Presidency?

When did the presidency become Rule of Law?

There is a total decay in our Society.

Yet one "genius" attorney general of Nairaland opened a thread and tried valiantly to explain how "forgetting" to declare assets which was Onnighen's defence will exonerate him under s.3 of CCT act.

As I read him post, laugh wan tear my belle.. E go clear for una eye by Monday.

I can't stress this enough: STEALING IS NOT OKAY!!!!


Let's unlearn every toxic ideas about corruption that bad leadership has taught us time past.

Let Nigerians wisen up to the fact that a government that doesn't mind stealing our money cannot be trusted to make any progress. When the helmsman shows that he's a thief, his subordinates will follow suit.

Corruption is our biggest problem today and all other challenges we face as a nation stems therefrom: insecurity (because money for procurement of arms has been looted), power (cause monies for transmission lines and generation plants have been looted), etc etc...

Whence then will the development come if you've stolen the funds?

You people should learn to think and see beyond the obvious.

OneManLegion:
Yet one "genius" attorney general of Nairaland opened a thread and tried valiantly to explain how "forgetting" to declare assets which was Onnighen's defence will exonerate him under s.3 of CCT act.

As I read him post, laugh wan tear my belle.. E go clear for una eye by Monday.

I can't stress this enough: STEALING IS NOT OKAY!!!!


Let's unlearn every toxic ideas about corruption that bad leadership has made to learn.

Are you alright bro? Is the CJN accused or charged WS with stealing?

PaChukwudi44:

Are you alright bro? Is the CJN accused or charged WS with stealing?

Leave these products of quota system.

Lawlessness has become a culture in Nigeria now.

Very shamefull.

By law. Cct has no case against him (TINUBU vs CCT)

but the Zombies has been brainwashed that not declaring assets is stealing.

Shame on this country which handed leadership to barbarians.

I don't take such reports serious."A source said", "we gathered" all such reports are bunkum.

Whether Onnogen resign as CJN or not it will still not stop the arraignment.There is no big deal about him appearing anyway.Saraki appeared as a sitting senate president and it didn't take away anything from him.

kahal29:


Where are the lies? The Nation carried the story of their visit to vice president with a similar request last week and up till it has not been refuted. Then this one by punch and you are saying lies

Did Onnoggen not release a statement about the source of his foreign accounts just yesterday? Does that look like a man begging for a "soft landing" as you people claimed?

PaChukwudi44:
I don't take such reports serious."A source said", "we gathered" all such reports are bunkum.

Whether Onnogen resign as CJN or not it will still not stop the arraignment.There is no big deal about him appearing anyway.Saraki appeared as a sitting senate president and it didn't take away anything from him.

That was exactly what they wanted SARAKI To do.

To resign because he is accussed of baseless crime.

Finally Onnoghen is a goner

PaChukwudi44:

Are you alright bro? Is the CJN accused or charged WS with stealing?

I am very well, bro, thanks for your genuine concern.

No, the CJN isn't charged for stealing by the cct, he's being charged with false declaration of assets.

Why won't he declare his assets properly? Cause he can't explain the source of his wealth.

Why not? Because they are most likely proceeds from politicians who have paid him to subvert justice which is honestly the most pervasive form of corruption I know because the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man.

When the judiciary is compromised, public office holders will steal all they can and pay a certain percentage of the stolen funds to supposed custodians of rule of law and justice who will make sure they will never answer to their crimes.

Some things go beyond politics, bros.

PaChukwudi44:

Are you alright bro? Is the CJN accused or charged WS with stealing?

Of course not. He was charged with " forgetfulness "

OneManLegion:


I am very well, bro, thanks for your genuine concern.

No, the cjn isn't charged for stealing by the cct, he's bejng charged with false declaration of assets.

Why won't he declare his assets properly? Cause he can't explain the source of his wealth.

Why not? Because they are most likely proceeds from politicians who have paid him to subvert justice which is honestly the most pervasive form of corruption I know because the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man.

He is charged with non-declaration of assets not false declaration of assets.

BTW speculations and assumptions has no basis in law

If I don't see Onnoghen docked by Monday, I will campaign and vote against pmb.
The presidency shouldn't listen to this group of jokers. For the past two weeks, they have appeared on all Natl stations calling pmb all sorts of names.
Suspended CJN must be docked

artofseduction:


That was exactly what they wanted SARAKI To do.

To resign because he is accussed of baseless crime.

Yeah some of them said " how can a sitting senate president be undergoing trial" " he ought to resign" .Saraki was smart enough to ignore all their gimmicks

Guzel:
If I don't see Onnoghen docked by Monday, I will campaign and vote against pmb.
The presidency shouldn't listen to this group of jokers. For the past two weeks, they have appeared on all Natl stations calling pmb all sorts of names.
Suspended CJN must be docked

If he is eventually docked kini big deal?

slivertongue:
APC and lies

May God rest ur trouble souls

artofseduction:


Leave these products of quota system.

Lawlessness has become a culture in Nigeria now.

Very shamefull.

By law. Cct has no case against him (TINUBU vs CCT)

but the Zombies has been brainwashed that not declaring assets is stealing.

Shame on this country which handed leadership to barbarians.

But Court of Appeal says he has a case.

Onnoghen is a Christian, let him know that Jesus told Pontius Pilate that he, Pilate, would not have had Power to try Him, Jesus, had it not been given him, Pilate, from above.
When The Lord(Law) closes The Doors, somewhere up there He leaves an Opening.
Assets Declaration or not, Onnoghen should surrender peacefully to CCT for he who The Lord wants to kill, He first makes mad.

PaChukwudi44:

If he is eventually docked kini big deal?

I’ve followed you on this particular topic from beginning, I must confess that you say too much without putting a thought behind your words.

For you not to know the big deal in a whole CJN being docked means that you’re either naive or just lacking shame. By docking him, all the reputation he has worked for all his life is soiled - if he has any sense of pride. It seems you are like Atiku and Saraki, two of the most daring thieves in the world. They have no shame in mouthing their nefarious ways.

PaChukwudi44:

Yeah some of them said " how can a sitting senate president be undergoing trial" " he ought to resign" .Saraki was smart enough to ignore all their gimmicks

That Saraki’s smartness has now been exposed to be this Onnoghen who cleared him. We now know that he most likely did that because he knew he has his own garbage. A corrupt judiciary can’t be expected to do justice to a hopelessly corrupt Saraki.

PaChukwudi44:

Are you alright bro? Is the CJN accused or charged WS with stealing?

Grandpa, leave this matter nah