The Department of State Services (DSS) has been in the eye of the storm lately, following raids on the houses of judicial officers in various states across the federation.
Governor Nyesom Wike was reportedly harassedby DSS officers for stopping the arrest of a Federal High Court judge in Rivers state early on Saturday, October 8, 2016.
On Friday, October 7, 2016, security operatives in Gombe state, arrested Justice Muazu Pindiga, who served briefly as the Chairman of the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal.
Officers of the DSS also invaded the houses of four Supreme Court Judges, Justices Walter Onnoghen, Sylvester Ngwuta, Adeniyi Ademola and Nnamdi Dimgba, simultaneously on Saturday, October 8, 2016.
They reportedly beat up one of the brothers of the justices and took Justice Ademola away after searching the houses around 5:00 am.
The DSS has however come out to explain why they raided the homes of the judicial officers in a statement, according to Premium Times.
Read the DSS statement below.
Good afternoon gentlemen of the Press.
2. The Department of State Services (DSS) in the past few days, has embarked on series of special sting operations involving some Judges of the Supreme, Appeal and High Courts. These operations were based on allegations of corruptions and other acts of professional misconduct by a few of the suspected Judges. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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
7. Other foreign currencies were also recovered. This were recovered from just three (3) of the judges.
8. 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.
9. The Service would want to clearly state that it has never invited Justice Walter NKANU ONNOGHEN for investigation, neither is he being investigated by this Service. In addition the Service 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.
10. Ladies and gentlemen, this 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.
11. Members of the public are also encouraged to avail the Service of any information which could assist in this drive to rid our nation of corrupt practices and tendencies.
THANK YOU.
Abdullahi GARBA,
Department of State Services,
Abuja.
8th October, 2016.
The Rivers state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also accused the DSS of attempting to shoot Governor Wike.
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