ACF said as long as Nigeria was concerned, nobody is above the law, and as such Onnoghen could not be an exemption.
This was contained in a communiqué it issued after its meeting on Wednesday, which was attended by its BOT members, from all the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The communiqué, which was signed by the Secretary-General of the ACF, Mr. Anthony Sani, read: “The meeting discussed a number of issues, including the current controversies relating to the suspension from office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, His Lordship Justice Walter Onnoghen.
“ACF cannot defend the position taken by the Hon. Justice Onnoghen, especially his insistence that he should first be tried by the National Judicial Council of which he is chairman.
“To do so would have allowed him to sit in judgment over his own case.
“ACF deeply regrets the conduct of Justice Onnoghen, particularly his refusal to step aside and allow the due process of the law to take its course.
“He has created the impression that his personal interest in this matter supersedes that of the judiciary and the nation.
“On their part, law enforcement agencies must strive to always execute their tasks in a neat and professional manner in order to avoid creating perceptions of partisanship.
“In the end, Nigeria cannot hope to develop and take its rightful place in the comity of nations unless and until we learn to respect our laws and enforce them fairly and consistently.”
