The wife of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, was reportedly stopped by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while she was travelling to Benue State, according to SaharaReporters.
Sources familiar with the development who spoke with Sahara Reporters said she was subsequently returned to Abuja after officials allegedly discovered $160,000 in cash in her possession.
A source said, “She was intercepted by EFCC operatives while travelling to Benue State and was subsequently returned to Abuja.
“$160,000 cash was reportedly found in her possession at the point of interception.”
The circumstances surrounding the funds and the purpose of the trip have yet to be officially clarified.
The development comes as Justice Tsoho faces growing scrutiny over allegations of violations of asset declaration rules.
The chief judge is expected to appear before the Code of Conduct Bureau on March 16, 2026, over claims that he failed to declare certain assets as required by law.
A petition against the judge alleged that he did not disclose several bank accounts in his asset declaration, including three accounts with United Bank for Africa and another with Access Bank.
If the bureau establishes a prima facie case, it could initiate formal charges before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Under Nigerian law, a conviction could attract penalties including removal from office, disqualification from holding public office for up to 10 years and forfeiture of improperly declared assets.
In a statement issued last Monday, the Director of Information of the Federal High Court, Catherine Christopher, said the chief judge remained willing to cooperate fully with the bureau.
“The Federal High Court of Nigeria wishes to clarify that the Honourable Chief Judge, Hon Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, remains fully committed to cooperating with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in respect of its invitation,” the statement read.
The court noted that the judge would appear alongside his legal representative, Kanu Agabi, who is currently outside the country for medical reasons.
“In accordance with his constitutional right to consult and be represented by counsel of his choice, his legal representative, Kanu Godwin Agabi, CON, SAN, has indicated his readiness to accompany the Honourable Chief Judge to the Bureau upon his return to Nigeria,” the statement added.
The bureau’s invitation followed an investigation which alleged that Justice Tsoho failed to disclose several bank accounts in an asset declaration submitted on April 29, 2024.
Under Section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, public officers are required to declare all assets, liabilities and bank accounts, including domiciliary accounts.
Failure to disclose assets or submitting false declarations constitutes a breach of the law.
Justice Tsoho has denied the allegations, insisting that he complied with all legal requirements relating to asset declaration.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the EFCC nor the office of the chief judge had issued an official statement clarifying the reported interception or the alleged discovery of the cash.
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