BEVERLY HILLS, October 10, (THEWILL) – THEWILL has gathered that eight more judicial officers, apart from the seven judges that were already arrested, including some justices of the Supreme Court, are being investigated for corruption by the Department of State Security (DSS).
According to an officer of the DSS, about 15 judges, included the seven arrested, were being investigated by the Service based on various petitions which linked them to corrupt practices.
He revealed that the DSS had invited three court registry staff across the country and is expecting Justice Mohammed Liman, Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, to honour its invitation after it failed to arrest him on Saturday.
He revealed that the DSS sent letters to the National Judicial Council and the Ministry of Justice concerning the investigations of the judges but only got a response from the ministry.
He declared that the arrested judges were not immune from investigation and prosecution insisting that the DSS did not act outside its constitutional mandate by investigating and arresting the judges.
He alleged that some of them received bribes to compromise judgments asserting that the Servic has proof of its allegations.
“One got a bribe in a department store. Another travelled to Ghana, Niger Republic and Benin Republic to collect bribe,” he said.
“We have treated the seven judges in custody with utmost respect, decency, they are not treated like criminals at all. Their interrogation does not last more than two hours and they are given meals of their fancy.
“The judges are being detained. They need to fill some forms. Also, if they had answered our questions, they would have been released under one hour.
“Some of these judges have made statements to our team. We have also shown them some evidence in order to show that the DSS was tidier in in its probe.
“A Supreme Court Justice has a property worth N1.5billion. If not DSS, which other agency will unravel this? Are you expecting the police to take on these judges?
“Another Supreme Court justice credited everything to his son. If the son started earning a living from the day he was born (assuming he was earning N1million), he cannot be able to earn one quarter of what he is claiming to have.
“We said it is very simple, tell us the business or the work you have done to have been able to earn so much.
“A judge entered a department store not to buy anything but to collect bribe, inside a supermarket from a go-between. Unknown to the judge and the collector, there are cameras in the store. The video clip is there.
“Another judge under probe has perfected the art of being a bribe collector on behalf of others. He is notorious in crossing the borders to Benin Republic, Niger Republic and Ghana. We know some of the hotels where he used to lodge.
“If you crosscheck, the operation was spontaneous and simultaneous in the judges’ quarters. It started between 10.30pm and 11pm on Friday night. It was painstaking and professionally conducted. Technically speaking, the DSS gave the time and the cameras used for the operation were digitalised.
“The search was conducted in the presence of the owners of the houses. There was no molestation, no harassment. We don’t need to plant money in anybody’s house because we have all subscribed to the oath of office. In an era where the government is trying to be fair, we don’t need to do that.
“There was search warrant duly obtained from the court. The execution of a search warrant does not require the presence of a lawyer. Even at that, one of the judges invited his lawyer who examined the warrant and asked him to cooperate with the DSS operatives.
“The DSS did not just jump into investigation, it received petitions on these judges on how they literally took money. The worst aspect is that they took money with both hands.”
THEWILL recalls that the DSS arrested Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro, both of the Supreme Court; suspended Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya; Justice Kabiru Auta, Kano State High Court; Justice Adeniyi Ademola, Federal High Court, Abuja; former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike; and Muazu Pindiga of the Federal High Court, Gombe Division between Friday night and Saturday morning.
Story by David Oputah
