The Senator representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye has faulted the invasion of the residences of some Supreme Court and High Court judges by operatives of Department of State Security (DSS).
Melaye said that there was no doubt that the DSS operatives acted outside their constitutional mandate.
The lawmaker in a statement in Abuja on Sunday noted that although there was the need to rid the judiciary of corruption, “the approach adopted by President Muhammadu Buhari was totally wrong and unacceptable.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator said that the invasion of the homes and arrest of the judges was condemnable especially when it is recognised that the agency conducted operation acted outside its core mandate.
He insisted that although judges have no immunity and could be tried, the use of DSS by government was “absolutely wrong and unacceptable.”
“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 overstretched themselves and conducted investigations on the judges. They ought to have handed 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 is not the responsibility of DSS. Internal security is the main duty of the DSS and they should stick to that.
“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 judges
“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.
The 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.”
Credit: The Nation
