The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has fixed a nationwide protest for Friday to protest the directive by the Code of Conduct Tribunal that Suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen should be arrested by security agents.
The CCT on Wednesday ordered the police and the Department of State Services to arrest Onnoghen and produce him before it on Friday.
But Onnoghen hurriedly headed for the Appeal Court in Abuja on Wednesday and asked the court to stop his arrest as ordered by the CCT.
The tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, made the order in a ruling on the prosecution’s application for the issuance of the arrest warrant on the grounds that Onnoghen had continued to snub the tribunal by refusing to obey summons to answer to the charges of non-declaration of assets preferred against him by the Federal Government.
It was learnt that the CJN would avoid any possibility of his arrest by reaching an agreement with the security agencies to voluntarily submit himself to the CCT on Friday.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Wednesday ordered the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Security Service to arrest the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
Delivering a ruling of the three-man tribunal, the Chairman of the CCT, Danladi Umar, ordered the security agencies to produce Onnoghen at the tribunal on Friday.
He dismissed the objection raised to the application for the issuance of the arrest warrant and ordered that “I want to see the defendant in the dock on Friday”.
The CCT had made the order following an application by the lead prosecuting counsel, Aliyu Umar (SAN), who said the consistent absence of the CJN from the CCT was a violation of provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Umar, who anchored his application for Onnothghen’s arrest on section 6(1) of the Practice Direction of the CCT, also opposed the call on the three-man tribunal by the lead defence counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), to hear all pending applications.
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 Onnoghen having not taken his plea, the objection by him could not be heard.
Let Zebra News help your business/brand reach a wider audience. Advertise with us today! Contact Our Marketing Team; Tel: 08062622328, 07083662767. Email: zebranewsng@gmail.com
