Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed, erstwhile Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), resigned from his position on Sunday due to ‘health issues’, but ill health was not Muhammed’s only battle as CJN. 

Judges of the Supreme Court accused Muhammed of corruption in June, after they were denied some entitlements usually afforded them. 

About 14 Supreme Court judges accused Muhammed of blocking standard annual foreign training procedures. In their letter, the judges complained about Muhammad’s lack of concern for their welfare. 

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The judges laid out grievances and demanded to know how Muhammed handled the budgetary allocation of the judiciary. 

“Your lordship received and ignored these demands since 24th March 2022,” the judges’ letter read. 

“In the past, justices were nominated to attend two to three foreign workshops or training per annum with accompanying persons for reasons of age. Since your lordship’s assumption of office, justices only attended two workshops in Dubai and Zanzibar. They were not accorded the privilege of travelling with accompanying persons, as was the practice.

“Your lordship totally ignored this demand and yet travelled with your spouse, children, and personal staff. We demand to know what has become of our training funds. Have they been diverted, or it’s a plain denial?

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“Your lordship may also remember that the national assembly has increased the budgetary allocation of the judiciary. We find it strange that in spite of the upward review of our budgetary allocation, the court cannot cater for our legitimate entitlements. This is unacceptable!”

Muhammad succeeded Walter Onnoghen who was himself removed after a civil rights group filed a petition against him at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

Onnoghen allegedly owned some secret foreign accounts which defied financial transparency and the code of conduct for public officials. He was convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal on April 18, 2019, for false assets declaration and banned from holding public office for 10 years.