NJC TO HOLD EMERGENCY MEETING OVER DSS RAID ON JUDGES
Nigerian judges will hold emergency talks Tuesday following the “deeply
regrettable” detention of several judges by secret police in a corruption
probe, the country’s chief justice said Monday.
At least seven judges were
detained by Nigerian security forces over the weekend in connection with
allegedly receiving bribes, drawing sharp condemnation from the bar association
and from rights groups who described the raids as “unprecedented”.
The Department of State
Services (DSS) said it had seized $800,000 (715,000 euros) in cash during the
nation-wide sting operation.
In response to the public
outcry, President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman was forced to defend the raid,
saying on Sunday that the executive followed due process and insisting Buhari
is a “committed democrat.”
“It is indeed very saddening and deeply regrettable, the distressing
and unfortunate incident which occurred on Friday 7 October and Saturday 8
October, 2016,” said Chief Justice of Nigeria Mahmud Mohammed in an Abuja
court.
“However, I must ask all
Nigerians to remain calm and prayerful, as an emergency meeting of the National
Judicial Council, which will take place tomorrow, will comprehensively look
into the matter.”
In his remarks, Mohammed
praised the Nigerian Bar Association head Abubakar Mahmoud, who condemned the
swoop as a “Gestapo-style” operation.
– ‘Rule of law must be
obeyed’ –
Buhari, a former military
ruler, was voted into power last year on an anti-graft platform.
But critics have claimed his
corruption war is being used as a front to sideline political foes.
“The whole world is watching
and the explanation by the executive is unacceptable,” said senior lawyer
Adegboyega Awomolo in a statement.
“We believe in the war
against corruption but the rule of law must be obeyed.”
Human rights lawyer Clement
Nwankwo said that the crackdown on the judges was “unprecedented” in Nigeria.
“I have not seen anything
like this before. A large-scale coordinated arrest of judges across the country
is unprecedented,” Nwankwo said.
“Under the days of military
rule you didn’t have judges being arrested this way.”
Since coming into power a
year ago, Buhari has kept political opponents — including pro-Biafra activist
Nnamdi Kanu and ex-national security advisor Sambo Dasuki — in jail despite
court orders granting bail.
Nwankwo said the Buhari
government’s disregard for the law served only to undermine its war on
corruption.
“When you continue to
violate due process then the war can only become weaker,” he said.
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