The seven judges arrested and detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Friday and Saturday in five states and the Federal Capital Territory have been released.
It was learnt that the judges were released on Sunday night on self-recognition and were asked to return to the headquarters of the secret police on Monday morning.
“They reported this morning (Monday) and they have all gone back home. They will be coming back tomorrow. And everything went according to procedure ,” the DSS said.
“They did report for investigation this morning and they have gone back home. The investigation continues and preparation to charge them to court.”
The DSS in a sting operation, arrested Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro, both of the Supreme Court; the suspended Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya; Justice Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court and Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Others were a former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike, and Muazu Pindiga of the Federal High Court, Gombe Division.
The sting operation carried out on the affected judges was sequel to lack of cooperation by the National Judicial Council (NJC), the DSS said on Monday.
“Investigation started some seven months ago in April 2016, and the NJC was accused of not allowing the affected Judges to be questioned by the DSS,”the service said.
The war against corruption was taken to the door steps of judges, recovering various sums of monies, including foreign currencies.
The monies recovered included N93,558,000, $530,087, £25,970 and €5,680, Mr Abdullahi Garba of DSS, said in a statement.
Garba noted that in the past few days, the DSS 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 was in line with its core mandate,” he noted.
” 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.
He added that the judge were, however, allowed to return home on Monday evening after their questioning.
Arrest of Judges: I’ve been vindicated over 2015 polls, says Wada
A former governor of Kogi State, Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada, on Monday added a fresh twist to the recent arrest of some Judges, alleging that the outcome of the 2015 Governorship Election Petition in the state, was commercialised.
While describing the arrest of some members of the Bench by operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) as a vindication of his earlier position, he insisted that money played a major role in deciding the outcome of his petition at the tribunal.
Wada broke his silence in a statement by his Chief Communications Manager, Comrade Phrank Shaibu in Abuja.
The former Governor declared that the episode reminded Nigerians of his earlier call on President Muhammadu Buhari to initiate a probe into the conduct of affairs in the Judiciary.
Wada said, “I have observed with keen interest the raid by men of the Department of State Services and the arrest of judges alleged to have compromised their oath of office and what attracted my attention more, though not surprising, is the fact that the Justices that we had accused of perverting the course of justice in the infamous case of inheritance of a dead candidates votes, were among those who will soon be having their day in court for alleged corruption.
“This is indeed a clear confirmation of my earlier alarm that things had fallen apart in the judiciary and my admonition to President Buhari to commence his anti-corruption fight from the third arm of government.
“From what we have seen in recent times, it would appear that the greatest obstacle to the Muhammadu Buhari administration is the corruption in the judiciary.”
He however said it would be wrong to use the same brush to tar all the members of the nation’s bench, emphasizing that his condemnation of some judges was not a blanket judgment on the judiciary which he said prides the best brains in the country.
His words: “Whoever said the entire judicial arm of government is corrupt will be uncharitable to the revered profession. The bench parades some of the best brains and first class patriots that the nation can go to war with,” adding that Buhari must fish out and punish corrupt judges for his much vaunted war against corruption to make meaning .
Wada called on Nigerians to support President Buhari’s war against corruption so as to move the nation forward.
He said the nation has suffered enough and what was required was a non-partisan commitment towards solving the myriad of problems confronting the country.
“I also wish to remind all of us that the task of moving the nation forward is the responsibility of all Nigerians,” Wada said.
