Ex-CJN Appeals Says ''confessional statement did not constitute confession as known to law, as it was not precise, clear and unequivocal as required by law to sustain a conviction.”

It is no longer news that the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Thursday in its historic judgement convicted Justice Walter Onnoghen of charges of breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and ordered his removal from office as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Danladi Umar had ordered Onnoghen’s removal as the Chairman of both the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission. He also ordered that a ban of him from holding any public office for a period of 10 years.

The tribunal chairman, who read the judgment, said, “Having regard to section 23(2) of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and Bureau Act, the defendant has clearly contravened the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and he is hereby convicted.”

In response to the opportunity to make an allocutus - A plea of leniency, the ex CJN stood up and said ''No Comment''

In addition to the sentence, the tribunal confiscated the funds found in his accounts as the money was acquired illegally and the defendant has failed to adduce any evidence of how he acquired the huge sums of money in the five accounts.

Onnoghen immediately filed 16 grounds notice of appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, shortly after the judgment was delivered by the CCT on Thursday.

He insisted, among others, that he did not confess to the alleged offences, as held by the CCT. Chief Awomolo Adegboyega (SAN) topped the list of lawyers who filed the appealed on his behalf. The rest are Chief Chris Uche (SAN), Efut, Chief Ogwu Onoja (SAN), and George Ibrahim.

The appellant also said the tribunal erred when it convicted him “based on an alleged confessional statement, arguing that confessional statement did not constitute confession as known to law, as it was not precise, clear and unequivocal as required by law to sustain a conviction.”