On Thursday, the Federal Government and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Samuel Nkanu Walter Onnoghen, were granted permission by the Court of Appeal in Abuja to resolve their out-of-court appeal against his dismissal as CJN.
The court’s ruling was based on information that the two parties to the lawsuit had stepped up their attempts to address all of the outstanding matters amicably.
In 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari dismissed Onnoghen from his position as Chief Justice of Nigeria while a case against him was pending before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
But during the appeal’s proceedings on Thursday, Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, the former Chief Justice of Nigeria’s lead attorney, told the Appeal Court’s three-judge panel that the two parties are already in talks to settle their differences amicably.
Onoja told the court that the parties were engaged until Wednesday, September 18, and she was hopeful that the conversation would be productive.
The senior attorney then filed an appeal with the appellate court, requesting a one-month postponement until the matter could be settled in full.
Tijani Gazali, a federal government attorney, supported Onoja’s plea and asked that the case be moved forward in hopes of reaching a mutually agreeable resolution.
“My Lords, I wish to humbly confirm the information. It is our position to settle the matter out of court,” he said.
Judge J. O. Oyewole, who oversaw the hearings on Thursday, gave a brief statement and instructed them to submit the parameters of settlement for adoption when they were finally decided upon.
According to Justice Oyewole, in order for the court to accept the terms of the settlement as its ruling in the case, they must be recorded and submitted before the date of the adjournment.
He then set the date of the two parties’ return as November 4.
In 2019, Onnoghen was charged by the federal government with making a fraudulent declaration of assets before the Code of Conduct Tribunal. After being found guilty, he was removed from his position.
He was also forced to give the federal government back the assets that he had not disclosed.
In contrast to the events of August 20, Onnoghen was not present in court for the hearing of his appeal, in which he is pleading with the court to overturn the CCT ruling that ousted him from office and mandated the confiscation of his five bank accounts.
