Lawyer condemns arrest of judges at odd hours
NAN-H-57
Arrest
By Chijioke Okoronkwo
Abuja, Oct. 10, 2016(NAN) A legal practitioner, Mr Ufere Mba, has condemned the arrest of two Supreme Court justices and three Federal High Court judges on Saturday by the Department of State Security (DSS).
Mba, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, said that the manner the arrest was conducted portrayed the judges as“terrorists”.
NAN recalls that the DSS on midnight of Oct. 8, 2016, raided the residences of two Supreme Court justices and three other judges and took them into custody on allegations of corruption.
Mba said he supports the fight against corruption if done within the ambit of the rule of law since nobody was above the law.
“There are procedures under which arrests should be made and not midnight invasion of such persons; it is a rape on democracy.
“The DSS is for internal security not corruption-related issues. Those judges were treated like terrorists and it is utterly condemnable.
“Those judges are not posing any threat to national security; they are responsible and respected citizens.
“There should be invitations from the appropriate security outfit before an arrest of these judges could be effected by the police not the DSS.’’
The lawyer said that every well-meaning Nigerian should condemn the midnight raid on judges’ homes under the guise of fighting corruption.
He urged the Federal Government to retrace its steps from the harassment of judicial officers in the over all interest of Nigeria’s democracy.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has said that it will not do anything to undermine the independence of the Judiciary.
It has also reassured that the President has the highest respect for the judiciary as the third arm of government.
Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, gave the assurance in a statement, following the raid carried out on the houses of some judges by the police and DSS.
“President Buhari remains a committed democrat, in words and in his actions, and will not take any action in violation of the constitution,” Garba said in the statement. (NAN)
CJ/OSA/NKO
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Edited by Shittu Obassa/NKechi Okoronkwo
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