Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has summoned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, following a detailed investigation by PREMIUM TIMES. The investigation revealed that Justice Tsoho allegedly failed to declare several bank accounts in his asset declaration form, a direct violation of the country’s Code of Conduct law. Multiple sources within the CCB confirmed that Justice Tsoho was expected to appear before the bureau on Friday to respond to inquiries regarding these undeclared accounts, and officials anticipate his appearance on Monday after he did not show up as initially scheduled.

According to documents reviewed and interviews conducted by PREMIUM TIMES, Justice Tsoho's asset declaration form, submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau on April 29, 2024, conspicuously omitted several bank accounts, encompassing both naira and domiciliary accounts, as mandated by law. Specifically, the findings indicate that he failed to declare three distinct accounts held with United Bank for Africa (account numbers 3000087154, 3000201901, and 3000075689) and an additional account with Access Bank (number 1756816871).

The CCB serves as Nigeria's federal agency tasked with addressing conflicts of interest and instances of abuse of office by public servants. Under the nation's stringent Code of Conduct regime, public officers are legally obligated to provide a full and transparent disclosure of all their assets, which explicitly includes bank accounts and the funds they contain. Any non-disclosure or the submission of a false declaration constitutes a serious breach of this law, potentially leading to severe penalties, including removal from office.

The legal framework governing such declarations is clearly articulated in Section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. This section unequivocally mandates every public officer to declare all their properties, assets, and liabilities immediately upon assuming office and at subsequent specified intervals. Furthermore, the Act stipulates that any false statement found within a declaration is considered a breach of the Act. The law also includes a provision that any asset acquired after a declaration that cannot be reasonably attributed to legitimate income, gifts, or approved loans shall be presumed to have been unlawfully acquired, unless proven otherwise.

Should the allegations against Justice Tsoho be substantiated and he is found guilty by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), he could face significant repercussions. These potential sanctions include compulsory removal from office, disqualification from holding any public office for a period of up to 10 years, and the forfeiture of any assets that were improperly declared or unlawfully acquired. The Tribunal possesses broad powers, including the authority to order the vacation of office and the seizure of property obtained through abuse or corruption of office. Decisions made by the CCT are subject to appeal at the Court of Appeal.

This situation draws significant parallels to the high-profile case of Walter Onnoghen, Nigeria's former Chief Justice, who was controversially convicted and removed from office by the Code of Conduct Tribunal on April 18, 2019, for similar reasons – specifically, failing to declare some of his bank accounts. In Onnoghen's case, the tribunal had ordered the forfeiture of five bank accounts. However, it is noteworthy that on November 4, 2024, the Court of Appeal reversed his conviction following a settlement agreement between the former Chief Justice and the federal government.

Justice Tsoho himself has not been immune to controversy in the past, though previous allegations against him have remained unproven. In November of the preceding year, he faced criticism and accusations of underhand dealings after he abruptly reassigned a significant receivership case involving FBNQuest Merchant Bank/First Trustees and the Nestoil Group. Earlier, in June 2023, Nigerian anti-corruption activists expressed suspicions of foul play when Justice Tsoho declined to grant an order for the detention of Godwin Emefiele, who was then the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and under investigation. Additionally, there are unproven claims by some critics regarding age falsification, asserting his birth year as 1955 despite his publicly available profiles stating 1959, though no agency appears to be investigating this particular allegation.

The findings concerning Justice Tsoho emerge at a time of heightened scrutiny within the Nigerian judiciary. PREMIUM TIMES recently reported that the National Judicial Council (NJC), under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has initiated a discreet but extensive probe into allegations involving several senior judges, including instances of false asset declarations. Sources indicated that these ongoing investigations were prompted by "damning and disturbing petitions" lodged against unnamed judicial officers. Justice Kekere-Ekun has publicly committed to implementing sweeping reforms aimed at restoring transparency, integrity, and public confidence in the judiciary, a commitment underscored by the NJC's previous actions of compulsorily retiring and sanctioning numerous judges for misconduct.