The National Judicial Council has given the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, and the acting CJN, Tanko Muhammad, seven working days to respond to petitions against them.
The council gave the ultimatum at its emergency meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja. The two men were not at the meeting.
A former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Umar Abdullahi, presided over the meeting as the interim chairman.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had suspended Onnoghen based on an ex parte order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, which ordered him to step aside and immediately swore in Muhammad in his place in an acting capacity.
A press signed by the NJC’s Director (Information), Soji Oye, said the council considered four petitions filed at its secretariat.
The statement read: The National Judicial Council held an Emergency Meeting today (Tuesday) and considered four (4) petitions filed at its Secretariat. The petitions are:
Petition against Hon. Mr. Justice W.S.N. Onnoghen, GCON by Zikhrillahi Ibrahim of Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civil Education;
Petition against Hon. Mr. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, CFR by Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative;
Petition against Hon. Mr. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, CFR by Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, OON; and
Petition against Danladi Yakubu Umar, Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal by Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative.
Council referred the petition against Hon. Danladi Yakubu Umar to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) which is the appropriate constitutional body empowered to deal with it.
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In line with its procedure, Council also forwarded the petitions against Hon. Justices W.S.N. Onnoghen, GCON and I. T. Muhammad, CFR to them for their responses.
In view of the gravity of the matters involved, Council abridged the usual response period from fourteen (14) to seven (7) working days for the Hon. Justices to respond.
Hon. Mr. Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen, GCON and Hon. Mr. Justice I.T. Muhammad, CFR recused themselves from the meeting. Consequently, Council elected Hon. Mr. Justice Umaru Abdullahi, CON, former President of the Court of Appeal as Interim Chairman to preside over the meeting.
The release said Council will reconvene on the 11th February, 2019.
