‘I feel very sad’' - VP Yemi Osinbajo reacts to CJN Justice Onnoghen’s trial

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed sadness over the ongoing prosecution of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.  

While speaking at the opening of the Online Publishers Conference in Abuja today January 16th, Osinbajo revealed that President Buhari did not know about the plan to arraign the CJN until Saturday evening. According to him, the President had always made clear that institutions should not be interfered with.

Osinbanjo said he is sad about the current situation where a senior member of his profession is subjected to such judicial process.

“I feel very sad that is going on at all. President Muhammadu Buhari, his whole approach is that institutions should just do their work. I can tell by fact that he did not know about this until Saturday evening. He did not know that there will be any kind of arraignment until Saturday evening. He has said categorically don’t interfere with what the institutions are doing. Sometimes it has consequences like we have today. My take is that I rather not have a situation where members of a profession are being tried for an offence. I don’t feel particularly good about it, as a matter of fact, I feel very sad about it, that is going on at all,” he said

 Justice Onnoghen is facing six charges bordering on failure to declare his assets and operating a domiciliary account, among other charges.