A group known as Partners West Africa – Nigeria, has called on the DSS to release the judges arrested in raids across the country on Saturday, and hand over findings of its investigations to the National Judicial Council,NJC, which is the appropriate authority to deal with such issues.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Mahmud Muhammed has described the raids carried out by Department of State Service, DSS, on the homes of Judges over the weekend as “saddening and deeply regrettable.”
The Presidency has expressed support for the weekend raid of the residences of some Judges, calling it an attack on corruption and not on the judiciary.
The Department of State Services, DSS, has alleged that Governor Nyesim Wike of Rivers State used his position to prevent its operatives from searching the house and arresting a high court judge who kept two million United States Dollars in his residence.
The houses of two Justices of the Supreme Court, Justices Walter Onnoghen and Sylvester Ngwuta, as well as two judges of the Federal High Court, Justices Adeniyi Ademola and Nnamdi Dimgba, were invaded by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS.
