The Federal Government on Friday suspended the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, following the order of Code of Conduct Tribunal on January 23rd.

The Nigerian government said the suspension stood until the conclusion of Onnoghen’s trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Following the suspension, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday swore in acting CJN in the person of Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed from Bauchi State.

He was conveyed to the Presidential Villa at about 4:30pm in a black Mercedes Benz C240 with number plate GWA: 900FA.

Onnoghen is being tried by the government at the CCT for alleged non-declaration of assets as required by the law.

However, the  Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday barred the tribunal from proceeding with the trial of the CJN.

The three-man panel granted the interim order pending ruling on the CJN’s application for stay of proceedings.

The Federal High Court, Abuja, and National Industrial Court had given orders to the CCT to stop the trial of the nation’s judicial offer over alleged false declaration of assets.

But the CCT held that the courts were of coordinate jurisdiction with the tribunal and so lacked powers to direct or supervise its proceedings.



Profile Of New Acting CJN Ibrahim Mohammed

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday sworn-in Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed as the new Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), after suspending the former nation’s judicial officer, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

Tanko was born on December 31, 1953 at Doguwa – Giade, a local government area in Bauchi State, northeast Nigeria. He attended Government Secondary School, Azare where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate in 1973 before he later proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Law in 1980. He later obtained a Master and Doctorate (Ph. D) degree from the same university in 1984 and 1998 respectively.

Tanko began his career in 1982 after he was called to the bar in 1981, the same year he graduated from the Nigerian Law School.

In 1989, he was appointed as Chief Magistrate of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, a position he held till 1991 when he became a Judge at the Bauchi State Sharia Court of Appeal.

He served in that capacity for two years before he was appointed to the bench of the Nigerian Courts of Appeal as Justice in 1993.

He held this position for thirteen years before he was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2006 but was sworn in on January 7, 2007.