The Court of Appeal in Abuja has acquitted former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, and directed the federal government to unfreeze his bank account.
Onnoghen, who had faced charges leading to his removal in 2019, had previously been suspended by then-President Muhammadu Buhari just weeks before the presidential election.
His suspension stirred reactions across Nigeria’s legal community, with concerns raised about judicial independence.
Following Onnoghen’s conviction by the Code of Conduct Tribunal on charges of false declaration of assets, he pursued multiple appeals to challenge the rulings.
However, a recent settlement reached between the federal government, under President Bola Tinubu, and Onnoghen led to the Court of Appeal’s decision.
The three-man panel, headed by Justice Mohammed Bello, concluded the matter, ordering an immediate release of his frozen assets.
