Two Justices of the Supreme Court, Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta, who were among the seven judges arrested and released on bail by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged corruption yesterday stepped down from sitting over cases.
There have been calls from different groups that all the judges involved in the corruption allegation should cease from presiding over cases pending their trial. Prominent among the groups that called for the judges’ sack is the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had, however, said it would not sack the judges based on the allegation of the DSS. Two judges of the Federal High Court, Justices Adeniyi Ademola and Nnamdi Dimgba who were also involved in the corruption have resumed sitting.
New Telegraph’s findings revealed that the two justices voluntarily recused themselves from all judicial functions since the raid occurred. Though the two justices have denied the allegations of corruption levelled on them. The NJC had, however, called for an emergency meeting starting from tomorrow to decide the fate of the affected judges.
Meanwhile, a group of lawyers, under the auspices of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy, yesterday called on the international community to call the Muhammadu Buhari administration to order.
The lawyers, who protested on the streets of Abuja over the arrest of judges by the DSS on October 8 and 9, called on the United Nations, United States of America, the United Kingdom the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and Amnesty International to save the nation’s democracy from drifting into anarchy.
In their protest letter, the lawyers, in partnership with Citizens for Good Governance (CGG), equally called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to direct all judges in the country not to hear any applications from the DSS and other agencies, except bail applications until there is obedience to all pending orders against them.
The protesting lawyers stormed the National Assembly to protest the call on the embattled judges to step aside from office.The coalition, which addressed journalists in Abuja, also carried out a public procession to the Federal High Court and the NHRC, carrying banners and placards with inscription “Nobody is above the law,” “Rule of law must be respected,” “Attack on judges who granted bail on bailable offences against government’s wish is an attempt to silence Judiciary” and “No to call on judges to step down.”
The DSS had, between October 7 and 8, arrested Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro of the Supreme Court; Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and Justice Muazu Pindiga of the Federal High Court, Gombe Division.
Another judge of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba’s residence was also searched, but was not arrested. Speaking on behalf of the group, Barrister Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, alleged that the affected lawyers were attacked by the DSS because of the various judgements they had delivered, contrary to the expectations of the government or its agencies.
The lawyers faulted the clampdown of judges, noting that the independence and integrity of the bench cannot be sacrificed under the guise of anti-corruption crusade.
It further urged the NJC to compile the list of the agencies of government and security agencies that have any orders of court that is yet to be obeyed and should direct the judges not to hear any such agency till all outstanding orders against them are obeyed.
Responding to the letter of protest, the Executive Secretary, NHRC, Prof. Ben Angwe, said that the commission had, before now, been waiting for petitions from the public on the arrest of the judges and violation of their human rights, but did not receive any.
He said the commission would immediately commence investigation into the recent invasion of homes and arrest of some judicial officers by the DSS, to unravel what actually transpired between the security operatives and the judges vis-a-vis the allegations of corruption.
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