The Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the planned arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The Federal Government, through the Code of Conduct Bureau, filed six counts of non-declaration of assets against the CJN on Friday.
Mr Onnoghen was due for arraignment before the CCT on Monday but he shunned the court, opting to send his lawyers which included numerous SANs.
But ruling on two separate ex parte applications on Monday, Justice N.E. Maha, ordered parties to maintain status quo till January 17.
He ruled in the two different suits that the defendants should be served with all the papers filed and they should appear in court at the next hearing.
One of the two suits marked FHC/ABJ/CS/27/2019 was filed by incorporated trustees of the Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative.
Those joined as defendants in the suit, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar; the National Judicial Council; Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; and Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
The other suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/28/2019 was filed by the incorporated trustees of the International Association of Students Economists and Management.
The suit has as the defendants, Mr Malami; the CCT, the CCB, Mr Umar; and the IGP, Mr Idris.
The applications were being filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja while the CCT proceedings where Onnoghen was being expected to be arraigned was ongoing.
The hearing took place shortly after the CCT proceedings ended on Monday.
Onnoghen’s absence at the CCT forced the tribunal to adjourn till January 22.
