The Will reports that the Department of State Services, DSS, has given reasons behind its raid on the homes of some judges in the country, disclosing that the special sting operations it carried out were based on allegations of corruptions and other acts of professional misconduct by a few of the suspected Judges.
It disclosed that in one of the States where the Service carried out its operations, credible intelligence revealed that the Judge had Two Million United States Dollars ($2,000,000 USD) stashed in his house, adding that the said Judge in concert with the State Governor, mobilized thugs against the Service when he was approached for due search to be conducted.
The DSS made this known in a statement issued on its behalf on Saturday by Abdullahi Garba, where it was said that the Service had in line with its core mandate, been monitoring the expensive and luxurious lifestyle of some of the Judges as well as complaints from the concerned members of the public over judgment obtained fraudulently and on the basis amounts of money paid.
According to the statement, “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. These 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 however clarified that it has never invited Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen of the Supreme Court for investigation, asserting that the Justice is not being investigated by the secret police.
DSS said it “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.”
Garba however stated that the 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.