The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned the 2019 conviction of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, on charges of false asset declaration. The ruling, delivered on Monday, dismisses the conviction previously handed down by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and acquits Onnoghen of all charges.

The appellate court’s decision follows a settlement between the Federal Government and Onnoghen, with Justice Abba Mohammed ruling that the four bank accounts initially ordered to be forfeited are to be returned to him. The judgment also highlighted that the CCT lacked jurisdiction in the case, as the National Judicial Council (NJC) had not reviewed the allegations before Onnoghen’s trial. Legal precedents, including the Federal Republic of Nigeria vs. Nganjiwa, were cited to reinforce the argument that judicial officers should be investigated by the NJC before any criminal proceedings.

The settlement, reached after months of negotiation, acknowledged the CCT’s lack of authority in prosecuting Onnoghen after he had voluntarily retired, with President Muhammadu Buhari accepting his resignation without conditions. The decision to resolve the appeals out of court was agreed upon by both parties, and the Court of Appeal accepted this approach in September, allowing the Federal Government and Onnoghen to finalize the terms.

The Court of Appeal has now adopted the terms of the settlement as its judgment, nullifying the CCT’s initial ruling. The court also confirmed that all parties entered into the settlement voluntarily, with further confirmation that the parties had discussed a peaceful resolution of the case until the final agreement was reached on October 4, 2024.

Onnoghen’s conviction in 2019 led to his removal as Chief Justice and the forfeiture of certain assets.