President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn in Ibrahim Tank Muhammad as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria minutes after suspending Justice Walter Onnoghen.
The swearing in ceremony took place at the office of the President on Friday.
President @MBuhari earlier, swore-in Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). pic.twitter.com/jhWsd1NLEE
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) January 25, 2019
President Buhari said the suspension was based on the order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The CCT on January 14 arraigned Justice Onnoghen on allegations of false and non- asset declarations.
The action was consequent upon an application filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to the chairman of the tribunal.
The tribunal then commenced the trial of the CJN on six-count charge as the service of summons had been effected on the defendant.
Chronicle NG reports that Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI) filed the petition at the Code of Conduct (CCB) against Justice Onnoghen.
READ: Who is acting CJN Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad
Mr Dennis Aghanya, Executive-Secretary of the organization, who made the copy of the petition available to newsmen in Abuja, said the body had acted as a whistleblower.
Aghanya said the petition, which was filed on January 7, was an offshoot of a painstaking investigation into the dealings of the CJN.
He said the organisation was of the strong opinion that the allegations were weighty enough to compel an action against Justice Onnoghen.
