OFFICIAL: DSS TO ARRAIGN JUDGES IN COURT TOMORROW, BILLIONS OF NAIRA RECOVERED FROM THEIR HOMES

Here’s how The Nation reports it; In an
apparent bid to douse the outrage that
greeted its midnight arrest of two Supreme
Court Justices and three other judges, the
Department of State Security (DSS) yesterday
said the sting operations yielded a mind-
boggling N93, 558,000.00, $530,087, £25,970,
€5,680, from three of those in its custody.
It gave no names, but The Nation was able to
get their identities and a breakdown of what
was found on them.
Those under arrest are Justices Sylvester
Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro both of the
Supreme Court , the suspended Presiding
Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division,
Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya , Justice
Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court and
Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High
Court, Abuja.
Justice Tsamiya had earlier been
recommended by the National Judicial
Commission (NJC) for retirement for meeting
a litigant thrice and demanding N200million
bribe.
The commission also recommended the sack
of Justice Auta for receiving N125million from
a litigant through an account approved by him
and recommended that he be handed over to
the police for prosecution.
Briefing reporters at the DSS headquarters in
Abuja yesterday, spokesman for the
organisation, Mr. Abdullahi Garba said attempt
to recover another $2million cash from an
unnamed judge was thwarted by the governor
of the state.
Garba alleged that the governor mobilized
thugs and operatives of an unspecified ‘sister
agency’ against DSS operatives and craftily
relocated the $2 million.
He said: “The Department of State Services
(DSS) in the past few days, has embarked on
series of special sting operations involving
some Judges of the Supreme, Appeal and
High Courts.
“These operations were based on allegations
of corruption and other acts of professional
misconduct by a few of the suspected
Judges.
“The service action is 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. The searches have
uncovered huge 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.
“Meanwhile, some of them 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.
“In one of the States where the Service
operations were conducted, credible
intelligence revealed that the Judge had Two
Million United States Dollars ($2,000,000 USD)
stashed in his house.
“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.
“The Service surveillance team noticed that
upon frustrating the operation, the Judge with
the active support of the Governor craftily
moved the money to an unknown location
which the Service is currently making effort to
unravel.
“Meanwhile, large amount including foreign/
local currencies have been recovered and
summaries of these include:
NAIRA – N93, 558,000.00
DOLLARS – $530,087
POUNDS – £25,970
EURO – €5,680
“Other foreign currencies were also
recovered; the above were recovered from
just three of the judges.
“These in addition to other banking
documents, including real estate documents
have been recovered.”
According to the DSS, the new initiative to
cleanse the judiciary of corrupt elements will
be sustained while those found culpable will
be prosecuted.
The DSS spokesman dismissed speculations
that the operation was aimed at stopping
Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen of the
Supreme Court from succeeding Chief Justice
Mahmud Mohammed who is due to retire next
month.
He said the operation did not affect Onnoghen
at all and he is not under any investigation
whatsoever.
“The Service would want to clearly state that
it has never invited Justice Walter Nkanu
Onnoghen for investigation; neither is he being
investigated by this Service,” Garba said.
“In addition, the Service would like to put it on
record, that it has tremendous respect for the
Judiciary and would not do anything to
undermine it or its activities.
“The Service will also join hands with this
noble institution in its fight to rid it of few
corrupt Judges whose actions is undermining
not only the Judiciary but the common bond
of our national life.
“This current operation will be sustained and
followed till sanity and sanctity is restored to
the esteemed third arm of government and
public confidence is regained.
“Members of the public are also encouraged
to avail the Service of any information which
could assist in this drive to rid our nation of
corrupt practices and tendencies,” Garba said.
The DSS spokesman declined to take
questions from reporters after reading his
prepared text.
He said the operation is a continuing exercise
and that reporters would be invited later for
further briefing.
However, further investigation by The Nation
showed that the service had actually traced
N1.5billion to one of the arrested Supreme
Court justices.
The DSS had also submitted a confessional
tape and a security brief on Justice Pindiga’s
alleged involvement in a N500m deal to the
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud
Mohammed.
The NJC was said to have cleared him of any
wrongdoing.
A highly placed source said the sting
operation was informed by alleged low
response of the Judiciary to reported cases
against some of the judges.
The source said: “We have all the records
intact. In the residence of one of the Supreme
Court justices, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta,
about N35, 208,000 raw cash $319,475 and
other hard currencies were found during the
operation.
“The second, Justice Inyang Okoro had
N4,350,000 cash and about $38,833.
“We have been able to trace about N1.5billion
mansion to one of the arrested judges of the
apex court.
“All the affected judges will be arraigned in
court on Monday (tomorrow) with evidence
against them.”
Responding to a question, the source added:
“In the case of Justice Pindiga, we have been
conducting investigation on him in respect of
alleged N500million inducement and two
houses in Abuja.
“When confronted, he admitted and the
confessional tape was forwarded to the CJN
for consideration by the NJC.
“But interestingly, the NJC gave him a clean
bill of health. No government will sit idly and
allow such a judge to remain on the bench.
“We adopted due diligence in investigating
these judges. Nigerians will hear more when
their trial begins.”
Found at the residence of Justice Ademola,
according to sources were: N54million,$171,
779.00,£80.00, 1,010.00 Indian Rupees and
€4,400.00.
At the residence of Justice Ngwuta the
following currencies were allegedly found:
N35,208,000,$319,475,£25,890,€280,UAE
380,GAMBIA DALASI 420,ARGENTINE PESO 4,
and GHANA CEDIS 20,while the followings
were allegedly found in Justice Okoro’s:N4,
350,000,$38, 833,£25,890 and €1,000.00.
Justice Ngwuta was later released late last
night.



Sourced and edited by DANIEL IKECHUKWU EKWUNIFE (08066298797)