The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed that it has embarked on series of special sting operations involving some Judges of the Supreme, Appeal and High Courts in the past few days.
These operations, according to a statement Department of State Services’ Abdullah Garba, were based on allegations of corruptions and other acts of professional misconduct by a few of the suspected Judges.
The statement stressed that the “Service action is in line with its core mandate, as we have been monitoring the expensive and luxurious lifestyle of some of the Judges as well as complaints from the concerned public over judgment obtained fraudulently and on the basis amounts of money paid.”
It said that the judges involved were invited, upon which due diligence was exhibited and their premises searched, with 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 were uncovered.
The statement claimed that some of the judges 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 particular reference to Rivers State, the DSS said credible intelligence revealed that the Judge had $2 million stashed in his house.
“When he was approached for due search to be conducted, he in concert with the State Governor, Nyesom Wike 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 statement further claimed that 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.
Summary of the large amount including foreign/local currencies recovered from three of the affected judges include:
* N93.55 million cash
* $530,087
* £25,970
* €5,680
“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 stated that it has never invited Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen for investigation, neither is he being investigated by this Service.
The Service said that it has tremendous respect for the Judiciary and would not do anything to undermine it or its activities, stating that it 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.”
It stressed 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.
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