About 30 Senior Advocates of Nigeria with a battery of about 100 other junior lawyers have so far appeared before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja in defence of the Chief Justice of Nigeria who is scheduled to be arraigned on six counts of non-declaration of assets on Monday.
Punch reports that the defence team led by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), is appearing against the Federal Government’s prosecution team with only one Senior Advocate of Nigeria and four other junior counsel.
Some of the SANs appearing for the CJN that have arrived court included Olanipekun, Chief Kanu Agabi, Chief Chris Uche, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, Mrs. Victoria Agabi, Sebastine Hon, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, Garba Tetengi A.T Kehinde, and Effiong Offiong.
Others also include, Yusuf Ali, Sylva Ogwemoh, Paul Erokoro, Tawo, among others.
As of 9.47am, the CJN has not been seen on the tribunal’s premises for the proceedings scheduled to start by 10am.
Meanwhile, the lead prosecuting counsel, Umar is a former Director of Public Prosecution in Kano State.
Umar arrived the CCT at about 9.10am.
He was one of the senior lawyers appointed in 2016 by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), as part of what was meant to be the government’s Special Prosecution Team.
The then special prosecuting team which appears to be technically disbanded comprised 20 SANs and 60 other lawyers.
Umar led the government’s prosecution team that was to prosecute the Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu for alleged forgery of Senate rules.
The charges were later withdrawn from court by the Umar-led legal team.
