Arrest of Judges: Melaye faults Presidency

Read the statement below
Although there is need to rid the judiciary
of corruption, the approach adopted by
President Muhammadu Buhari was totally
wrong and unacceptable, the Chairman,
Senate Committee on the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT), Otunba Dino Melaye, said
on Sunday.
Melaye, representing Kogi West on the platform
of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the
National Assembly, in a statement he issued in
Abuja, condemned the arrest and invasion of the
residence of some Judges by the Department of
State Services, saying the agency acted outside
its core mandate.
According to him, although Judges have no
immunity and could be tried, the use of DSS by
government was "absolutely wrong and
unacceptable."
He said, "I have studied the Act setting up DSS,
Nigerian Intelligence Agency and DIA and can
conclude that the DSS operatives went outside
their core mandate. There is no doubt that many
Judges are corrupt. It is also important to state
the need to sanitise the judiciary of corruption
that make Judges not to give commercial rulings
which create terrible precedence in our legal
system. Judges have no immunity and can be
tried and should be tried but the use of DSS is
absolutely wrong.
"The DSS operatives even when they
overstretched themselves and conducted
investigations on the Judges. They ought to
hand over their findings to the appropriate
institutions of government: the Police or
National Judicial Council for prosecution and
punishment.
"The rule of law is a core value of governance
and therefore must be guided jealousy.
Prosecution of civil and corruption cases in not
the responsibility of DSS. Internal security is the
main duty of the DSS and they should stick to
that. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
Gun-wielding DSS and police operatives had on
Friday night and in the early hours of Saturday
swooped on the residences of senior judges,
breaking doors and threatening to harm their
family members and aides.
The Judges affected in the raids carried out in
Abuja, Port Harcourt and Gombe States
were of the Supreme Court and Federal High
Court.
At least two of the Justices were said to have
recently ruled against the DSS and condemned
its disregard of the laws of the land during its
operations.
They arrested Judges are Justice Sylvester
Ngwuta (Supreme Court); Justice John Okoro
(Supreme Court) and Justice Adeniyi Ademola of
the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The DSS also searched the residence of another
judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Nnamdi
Dimgba, but he was not arrested.

Share

& Comment

Tweet