Lawyers to Boycott Court in Protest against Onnoghen’s Suspension

By Alex Enumah in Abuja

Barring any last minute changes, lawyers in the country would from Tuesday, January 29 shun court proceedings in protest of the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.

The boycott, which is slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, is part of decisions reached by the umbrella body of the lawyers, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), at its national emergency meeting which held in Abuja on Monday.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last Friday announced the suspension of Onnoghen as the CJN and chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Buhari accordingly swore in Justice Tanko Muhammad in acting capacity being the next in line in terms of seniority at the Supreme Court.

The president said his action was predicated on the exparte order issued on him last Wednesday January 23 by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

The president’s action, which has since attracted global criticism including the NBA, prompted the body to call for an emergency meeting at its national headquarters in Abuja.

A member of the NBA in a text message to THISDAY confirmed the decision of the NBA.

“Yes, the Nigerian Bar Association rising from her NEC meeting has decided to embark on a two-day warning boycott of courts all over Nigeria from tomorrow, the 29th day of January, 2019 over the illegal suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Buhari,” he said.