On Saturday, DSS operatives arrested Supreme Court judges Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro after their homes were raided. Armed masked DSS operatives also raided the residences of judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Gombe and Port Harcourt, Rivers State as part of what the government describes as it clampdown on corruption within the judiciary.
Yesterday NBA president Abubakar Mamoud, addressed newsmen in Lagos alongside three past presidents in Chief Wole Olanipekun, Dr Olisa Agbakoba and Joseph Daudu, condemning the arrests. He called for the declaration of a state of emergency in the Nigerian judiciary and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to order the immediate release of the arrested judges.
Mr Mamoud said: “The DSS has been carrying out raids in the houses of justices of the Supreme Court and those of judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Gombe and Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Some family members of the judges were manhandled and we gathered that the raids were carried out at 2am.
“We condemn the raids in the strongest possible terms. We are in a democratic society and we cannot accept a situation where armed masked DSS operatives invade the homes of the justices of the Supreme Court and judges of our high courts."
He added that this is a ploy by the executive to intimidate the judiciary and the NBA will not accept it. According to Mr Mamoud, Nigeria is not are not under military rule and so the NBA cannot accept this Gestapo style of operation.
“First, the NBA demands the immediate and unconditional release of the justices the Supreme Court still being held by the DSS without further delay and the DSS should limit itself to its constitutional duties and responsibilities. We demand that President Muhammadu Buhari should call his security agencies to order as this kind of practice is not acceptable under a democratic rule.
“If there are issues affecting judicial officers, there are established processes and procedures for handling them and we demand that these constitutional processes must be obeyed. I have declared a state of emergency on the legal profession over the matter and I have invited past presidents and secretary-generals of the association," Mr Mamoud added
He said he has also set up a crisis committee team which shall consist of past presidents and secretary-generals of the association to follow up on the matter. Asked whether the association will immediately embark on court boycott over the arrest and detention of judicial officers by the executive arm of government, Mr Mamoud said members should allow the leaders handle the matter, while awaiting any further directive as maybe necessary.
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