One Of The Judges Raided Stashed $2m In His House, DSS Reveal

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

Nigeria’s Department of State Security, DSS on Saturday said its operatives raided the homes of some Nigerian judges late Friday and early Saturday as a follow up to what it described as an outcome of a special sting operation involving these judges of the Supreme, Appeal and High Courts.

In a chat with journalists, a senior officer of the security agency, Mallam Abdullahi Garba, explained that the operatives swooped on the home of the judges based on allegations of corruptions and other acts of professional misconduct by a few of the suspected judges.

He said that the operations were aimed at restoring “sanity and sanctity to the esteemed third arm of government” and insisted that the action would be sustained.

Abdullahi claimed that in a planned raid on the residence of a judge in Rivers State where the service had intelligence that he (a Federal High Court judge) had $2 million cash at home was frustrated by the State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who allegedly stormed the place with thugs to prevent the service from carrying out its mission in connivance with an unnamed sister security agency.

Abdullahi said, “In one of the states where the 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, mobilised 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 the 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.”

Wike was said to have arrived as the operation to arrest the judge residing at 35, Forces Avenue in Port Harcourt began, the governor’s spokesperson, Simeon Nwakaudu, said in a statement.

Wike was quoted as telling journalists that he would not allow the DSS and other security agencies perpetrate “needless impunity” in the state.

He said if the security agencies had a lawful directive to implement, they must follow due process.

“Not under my watch will I allow this kind of impunity to take place,” the governor was quoted as saying. “That is why we are here. I don’t know which judge they were detailed to abduct. I didn’t bother myself to know which judge. All I am interested in is that, at this level, it is not allowed.”

“He is not a criminal and he is not an armed robber. If the person has committed an offence, invite him. It is only when he refuses to honour the invitation that you can adopt this commando style.”

Wike said he had been threatened by armed agents who wanted to attack him.

“The Commissioner of Police is here, the Director of DSS is here. Their operatives cocked their guns and threatened to shoot me. I have never seen that before. Again, this is to tell you what we are facing. We know that more will come. For us in this state, we shall continue to resist it,” he said.

Wike added: “It doesn’t matter what it will cost. When you talk about liberty, sacrifices must be made. We are not trying to stop an arrest. All we are saying is that things must be done decently and in line with the rule of law.

“Rivers State is under siege. For you to see a governor out at this time of the day, something is wrong. A siege is an understatement. If this type of thing happens next time, the people will resist it to the last.”

However, Abdullahi added that nevertheless the action of Governor Wike, large amount including foreign/local currencies had been recovered.

The DSS top official said they recovered over N270 Million from the residences of three judges. He gave the summaries of these to include: N93,558,000.00, $530,087, £25,970 and €5,680 (euro).

He said other foreign currencies were also recovered, but didn’t give details.

He refused to give their names and the total number of judges involved.

The cash, he added, were different from other banking documents, including real estate documents which he said were also recovered.

He said preparations were ongoing to arraign the suspects in a competent court of jurisdiction in line with the laws of the nation.

He said the Service had never invited Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen for investigation as being speculated in some quarters.

Apart from this, he said the judge was also neither being investigated by the Service.

Despite this action, he said the Service 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,” he added.

He called on members of the public to avail the Service of any information which could assist in its drive to rid the nation of corrupt practices and tendencies.