By Peter Omopo
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has confirmed receiving an invitation from the Code of Conduct Bureau and expressed his readiness to appear before the agency.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Information of the Federal High Court, Catherine Christopher, the court said the Chief Judge is fully committed to cooperating with the bureau regarding its invitation.
The statement noted that Justice Tsoho would appear alongside his legal representative, Kanu Agabi (SAN), who is currently outside the country for medical reasons. According to the court, the senior advocate has indicated his willingness to accompany the Chief Judge to the bureau upon his return to Nigeria.
It added that the position had been communicated to the Code of Conduct Bureau, affirming Justice Tsoho’s readiness to participate in the process in compliance with constitutional provisions and due process.
The court further stated that any date within the week commencing March 16, 2026, would be convenient for the Chief Judge and his counsel.
Justice Tsoho’s planned appearance follows allegations published by an online news platform claiming that he failed to declare certain bank accounts in his asset declaration submitted to the bureau on April 29, 2024.
The report alleged that at least three United Bank for Africa accounts and one Access Bank account were not listed in the declaration, raising questions about possible violations of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Under the law, public officers are required to declare all assets, liabilities and bank accounts. Failure to make full disclosure can attract penalties, including removal from office, disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of undeclared assets.
The Code of Conduct Bureau has not publicly detailed the specific allegations but reportedly issued the invitation as part of its review of the matter.
