Nigeria's Vice-President Says Feel Sad Over Trial of Chief Justice

Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said he was sad over the trial of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen, on allegations of false and non-asset declarations.
“My take is that I would rather not have a situation where senior members of my profession are being tried for an offence; certainly, I will rather not have that kind of situation.
“ So, I do not feel particularly good about it; as a matter of fact, I feel very sad; that it is going on at all, that is my position.’’
He, however, said his principal President Muhammadu Buhari had no prior knowledge of the arraignment.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) had scheduled to arrange the CJN on charges of false and non-declaration of his assets on Monday, but due to failure of the head of the nation's judiciary to appear in court, the case was adjourned till Feb 22.

While a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has also ordered the CCT to halt proceedings.
Osinbajo, who spoke in Abuja at an event on Wednesday, said that Buhari’s approach is non-interference in the work of government institutions.

“ I can tell you for a fact that he did not even know about this until Saturday evening. He did not even know that there will be any kind of arraignment until Saturday evening.
“He has said categorically, do not interfere with whatever institutions are doing; sometimes, it has consequences such as we have today; such that people say how can such an important person be subjected to a trial without the Federal Government?
“But I can tell you without any equivocation whatsoever that he was not even in the know because it is a specific instruction that he gave.
“So, even where somebody else calls a public officer such as Ibrahim Magu of EFCC and says something or the other, he will say `no, no, no, Mr president has said I can do my work.