Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Code of Conduct Tribunal has ordered the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, to enter his defence in the six-count charge of non-declaration of assets, after dismissing his no-case submission.
The tribunal in its ruling held that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against Onnoghen to enable him to enter his defence.
Chairman of the tribunal, Mr. Danladi Umar, who read the ruling said the confessional statement of Onnoghen which was not made under duress was enough to call him to enter his defence.
Earlier in his submission, Onnoghen who had urged the tribunal to discharge and acquit him of the charges against him accused the tribunal of not following its set Standard Operation Procedures in instituting the case against him.
Onnoghen is being arraigned at the CCT following a charge against him brought by the Code of Conduct Bureau in January.
The CCB accused Onnoghen of failing to declare his assets from June 2005, after he became a Justice of the Supreme Court to December 2016, two months after the Federal government raided the homes of several judges, including those of the Supreme Court in October 2018.