Photo shows scenes of how hundreds of DSS operatives and policemen attempted to illegally abduct a Federal High Court judge residing at Number 35 Forces Avenue in Port Harcourt
The Department of State Service [DSS] has finally opened up on the reasons behind the breaking into homes and arrests of some federal judges some of them in the middle of the night.
DSS said it raided the homes of some judges across the country over allegations of corruption levelled against them.
Garba Abdullahi, an agent of the service, spoke to journalists at a news conference at the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Saturday.
He said the secret police had been monitoring the lifestyle of some judges, and that it was determined to bring sanity to the judiciary.
Recall that operatives of DSS between late Friday night and the early hours of Saturday simultaneously invaded the houses of two Justices of the Supreme Court.
They also attacked as well two judges of the Federal High Court.
The affected judges are:
– Justices John Inyang Okoro – Supreme Court
– Justice Sylvester Ngwuta – Supreme Court
NOTE: – Justice Walter Onnoghen of the Supreme Court, we gathered, was eventually not arrested.
Other affected ones are:
– Justice Adeniyi Ademola – Federal High Court
– Nnamdi Dimgba – Federal High Court
– Justice Muazu Pindiga – Federal High Court
– Justice Tsamiya – Federal High Court
– Justice Abdullahi Liman – Federal High Court
In a botched coup, operatives and policemen attempted to illegally abduct a Federal High Court judge residing at Number 35 Forces Avenue in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Read the official DSS statement below:
Being a statement presented to the press in Abuja by Abdullahi Garba of the Department of State Services
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 corruptions 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. Summaries of these include :
SUMMARY OF RECOVERED MONEY
1. NAIRA – N93,558,000.00
2. DOLLARS – $530,087
3. POUNDS – £25,970
4. EURO – €5,680
Other foreign currencies were also recovered. This were recovered from just three (3) of the judges.
These in addition to other banking documents, including real estate documents have been recovered.
Meanwhile preparations are ongoing to arraign them in a competent court of jurisdiction in line with the laws of the nation.
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.
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.
Ladies and gentlemen, 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.
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