The Code of Conduct Tribunal has ordered security agencies to effect the arrest of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
Chairman of the CCT, Danladi Umar, instructed both the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of DSS to ensure Onnoghen’s arrest.
recalls Onnoghen is standing trial before the CCT for alleged false declaration of assets.
Delivering a ruling of the three-man tribunal on Wednesday, Umar, ordered the security agencies to produce Onnoghen at the tribunal on Friday.
Umar also dismissed the objection raised to the application for the issuance of the warrant of arrest and ordered that “I want to see the defendant in the dock on Friday”.
The CCT directive followed an application by the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Aliyu Umar (SAN), who called the attention of the tribunal to the continued absence of the CJN at the trial, adding that the act was a violation of provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Umar maintained that by virtue of section 396(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 no objections could be raised by the defendant until he took his plea.
The prosecuting counsel said objections by Onnoghen could not be heard without him first taking his plea.