The Code of Conduct Tribunal has ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of State Security Services, DSS, to arrest the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
The order was handed down by the Chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar, on Wednesday while delivering a ruling of the three-man panel.
According to the order, the security agencies must produce Onnoghen at the tribunal on Friday.
The CCT order was made pursuant to an application by the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Aliyu Umar (SAN), who argued that the consistent absence of the CJN from the tribunal was a violation of provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Umar relied on section 6(1) of the Practice Direction of the CCT in making the application for Onnoghen’s arrest.
The lead defence counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), objected to the application for the issuance of the arrest warrant submitting that all pending applications should be heard.
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This was in turn opposed by the prosecuting counsel, who held 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.
Therefore, he submitted that Onnoghen having not taken his plea, the objection by him could not be heard
Chairman of the tribunal in his ruling, upheld the argument of the prosecuting counsel saying: “I want to see the defendant in the dock on Friday.”
