BREAKING: DSS releases detained judges

DSS has released the seven arrested judges over the weekend on bail, with an explanation that its sting operation on them was caused by National Judicial Council (NJC)

The seven justices are from the Supreme, Appeal and High courts, who were arrested at the weekend for alleged corruption.

The sting operation carried out on the judges was sequel to lack of cooperation by National Judicial Council (NJC), DSS said on Monday.

DSS accused NJC of refusing to allow the affected judges to be questioned by the DSS.

“Investigation started some seven months ago, precisely in April 2016, ” DSS explained.

It however said they were all released on bail on Sunday on self- recognizance based on their standing in the society and could not run away.

“They reported this morning (Monday) and they have all gone back home. They will be coming back tomorrow. And everything went very procedurally well and civil.

“They did report for investigation this morning and they have gone back home.
And the investigation continues and preparation to charge them to court.

The war against corruption was taken to the door steps of judges, recovering various sums of monies, including foreign currencies.

Department of State Services (DSS) confirmed on Saturday that it carried out a special sting operation on some judges of Supreme, Appeal and High courts,

The monies recovered included N93,558,000, $530,087, £25,970 and €5,680, Mr Abdullahi Garba of DSS, said in a statement.

DSS, he said, in the past few days, embarked on the raid based on allegations of corruption and other acts of professional misconduct by a few of the suspected judges.

The action of DSS, he said, was in line with its core mandate, “as we have been monitoring the expensive and luxurious lifestyle of some of the Judges as well as complaints from the concerned public over judgment obtained fraudulently and on the basis amounts of money paid’’.

The judges involved were invited, upon which due diligence was exhibited and their premises searched.

Raw cash of various denominations, local and foreign currencies, with real estate worth several millions of Naira and documents affirming unholy acts by these Judges were recovered.

He said that some of the judges have made useful statements while a few have declined even with the glaring evidences that were found against them in terms of material cash, documents and property recovered pointing to their compromise.

He alleged that in one of the states where the Service operations were conducted, credible intelligence revealed that the Judge had $2,000,000 stashed in his house.

The DSS did not mention the state, but earlier reports in the social media mentioned Rivers.

“When he was approached for due search to be conducted, he in concert with the State Governor, mobilized thugs against the Service team.

“The team restrained itself in the face of unbridled provocative activities by those brought in by the Governor.

“Unfortunately, the Judge and Governor also engaged the tacit support of a sister security agency.’’

DSS surveillance team, he explained, noticed the resistance of the Judge with the active support of the Governor and craftily moved the money to an unknown location which the Service is currently making effort to unravel.

Garba denied that the Service invited Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen for investigation.

According to him, Justice Onnoghen is not being investigated by the Service.
The Service, he said, has tremendous respect for the Judiciary and would not do anything to undermine it or its activities.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, on Monday said the operation was saddening.

Source: NAN