The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, has come under renewed public scrutiny following a report by PREMIUM TIMES alleging that he failed to disclose several bank accounts in his most recent asset declaration submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
According to the publication, documents and sources familiar with the matter indicate that in a declaration filed on April 29, 2024, some naira and foreign currency (domiciliary) accounts were not listed, despite legal requirements mandating full disclosure by public officials. Under Nigeria’s Code of Conduct laws, public officers are required to declare all assets, including bank accounts and the funds contained in them, upon assumption of office and at specified intervals thereafter.
Failure to fully disclose assets may constitute a violation of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and can attract penalties such as removal from office, temporary disqualification from holding public office, and forfeiture of undeclared assets if proven before the appropriate tribunal.
The report states that attempts were made to obtain Justice Tsoho’s response, but no official comment had been received at the time of publication.
Legal provisions under Section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act require public officers to provide accurate declarations of their assets, liabilities, and properties. Any false statement or omission may amount to a breach of the law. Additionally, assets acquired after declaration that cannot be reasonably linked to legitimate income, gifts, or approved loans may be presumed unlawfully obtained unless satisfactorily explained.
The development has drawn comparisons to the 2019 case involving former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, who was removed from office over asset declaration issues. Although his conviction was later overturned by the Court of Appeal in November 2024 following a settlement with the Federal Government, the case remains one of Nigeria’s most notable judicial accountability matters.
Justice Tsoho, born on June 24, 1959, in Benue State, was appointed Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in July 2019 and confirmed substantively in November of the same year. He previously served within the Benue State Judiciary before joining the Federal High Court bench in 1998.
In recent years, his tenure has attracted public debate over certain administrative and case reassignment decisions, including matters involving high-profile financial and corporate disputes.
Some online media platforms have reported allegations relating to case reassignments; however, such claims remain allegations and have not been established by any court of law.