Supreme Court justices and judges serving on nine election petitions tribunals have been placed on a security agencies’ watch-list, it was learnt yesterday.

The tribunals are those of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Yobe, Gombe, Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Delta and Taraba states.

Besides, a governor and a former governor are being investigated for allegedly offering to pay for some judges’ vacation trips .

According to sources, the Federal Government is disturbed that some governors and candidates in the last general elections have become desperate in their bid to influence tribunals.

It was gathered that some petitioners and defenders had been dangling mouth-watering bribes before judges to sway judgment in their favour.

The development was said to have irritated the Muhammadu Buhari administration, which asked security agencies to bring errant judges to book.

It was learnt that the row generated by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike’s controversial visit to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmood Mohammed, has further motivated the government to ask security agencies to watch and protect judges.

“The new administration is out to protect the sanctity of the judiciary. The era of impunity, judgment-fixing and hijack of the court or tribunals for selfish ends is gone,” a source said.

It added: “The position of the Buhari administration is that each litigant and respondent should go to the tribunals to defend his or her petition. This position applies to all political parties.”

It was learnt that security agencies have been trailing a governor and a former governor who offered to pay for some judges’ vacation trips.

“The serving governor has been boasting that there is no judgment he cannot fix because he has the head of one of the courts at his beck and call. He also said he will be paying for vacation trips of some judges.

“The former Chief Justice of Nigeria threatened to sanction the said head of a court when insinuations of his under-the-table deals got to her.

“The ex-governor is also noted for bragging that there is nothing money cannot buy.”

A source at the Supreme Court, who spoke in confidence, confirmed the development.

The source said: “All judges are really on security watch-list, including those at the apex court. The security agents were called in to monitor judges and movement of money.

“There is no tribunal sitting without any official of the Department of State Services attached to it.

“But there are more discreet security personnel putting close tabs on election petition tribunals than those officially attached.

“The position of the government is that these judges must be allowed to discharge their duties without fear or favour.”

Determined to stave off pressure from election petitioners, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, recently banned politicians from his residence – a development The Nation reported exclusively .

He also directed that his security detail from the State Security Service (SSS) and police orderly will henceforth be part of any interaction with Politically Exposed Lawyers seeking audience with him.

The CJN has limited official courtesy calls by governors with outstanding petitions against them at election tribunals.

The CJN put all these measures in place following subtle moves by some election petitioners to drag the Judiciary into politics.

http://thenationonlineng.net/security-agencies-watch-list-supreme-court-justices/

Call him Bubu, Call him Snail Baba, Call him any name he is still the man sitting on the throne and he will do that for the next four years with good health, sound mind that will be deck to him by Baba God in this journey of driving the country for four years.

Whosoever said things are not getting interesting day by day in this country needs to be checked for this is a welcome development and a nice idea bang out by Buhari.

The Federal Government is not the only one that is disturbed that some governors have become desperate in their bid to influence tribunals, the masses are also having a running solar plexus concerning the matter.


This is the country i crave for where one will be able to say the truth, discharge his/her duties without any fear of been killed or expecting a return favor.

Thank God we are in a new era where impunity, judgment-fixing, no-one-can-touch-me and hijack of the court or tribunals for selfish ends have been buried.

This is a new era where you cannot hide and at the same time you cannot run..

Our country shall be great again......

Lalasticlala

My sai buhari will change this nation for good

This will make every body to seat up because you won't know who and who is watching you

The new sheriff is in town this will implant sanity to so many areas in Nigeria

Sai buhari on point

Besides media propaganda,the presidency have no power to discipline errant judges!!! That responsibility lies with the National Judicial council.The judges cannever be placed under security watch .

Buhari would not be stupid enough to fight the judiciary as he would be the one to lose out in the end.Which ever judgements this tribunals hand out will stand and there is nothing he or anyone elde can do about it.

God bless Buhari. Let everybody wake up. Nigeria is so lawless.

chukwudi44:
Besides media propaganda,the presidency have no power to discipline errant judges!!! That responsibility lies with the National Judicial council.The judges cannever be placed under security watch .

Buhari would not be stupid enough to fight the judiciary as he would be the one to lose out in the end.Which ever judgements this tribunals hand out will stand and there is nothing he or anyone elde can do about it.

Chukwudi, why una dey behave like dis ehn, why una no wan take ya eyes see better thing, why una dey bitter for this kind news. Abegii why una say the judges can never be put under security watch, che dem don turn to god on earth ni.

You con dey vex again say Baba will not be silly enough to fight the judiciary abeg helep me in pointing out where Baba say/is body language suggest he will be fighting the judges and again Baba did not say he will not accept the judgements the tribunal hands out.

Tell me, una dey read the news upside down...

wapSmart:

Chukwudi, why una dey behave like dis ehn, why una no wan take ya eyes see better thing, why una dey bitter for this kind news. Abegii why una say the judges can never be put under security watch, che dem don turn to god on earth ni.

You con dey vex again say Baba will not be silly enough to fight the judiciary abeg helep me in pointing out where Baba say/is body language suggest he will be fighting the judges and again Baba did not say he will not accept the judgements the tribunal hands out.

Tell me, una dey read the news upside down...

Bros this is not a military regime. The president has no such powers to place serving judges under security watch.
Yes if he tries to fight the judiciary APC would suffer at the tribunals

chukwudi44:

Bros this is not a military regime. The president has no such powers to place serving judges under security watch.
Yes if he tries to fight the judiciary APC would suffer at the tribunals

Please it will be good for both of us if you can adduce your assertion for the last time i check The President has the powers entrusted by the Constitution and legislation, including those necessary to perform the functions of Head of State and head of the national executive.

Sai Buhari!

The judiciary remains one of Nigeria's biggest problems. Because they are held sacred and not prone to public vilification, they behave anyhow.

Indeed there are some of them that are incorruptible, but they are in the minority.

There should be a total overhaul of the entire system

wapSmart:

Please it will be good for both of us if you can adduce your assertion for the last time i check The President has the powers entrusted by the Constitution and legislation, including those necessary to perform the functions of Head of State and head of the national executive.

Likewise the judiciary has the power to interpret all the cases currently at the courts including the cases at the tribunals involving APC members.

No one has a monopoly over abuse of powers

chukwudi44:

Likewise the judiciary has the power to interpret all the cases currently at the courts including the cases at the tribunals involving APC members.

No one has a monopoly over abuse of powers

Agreed but are you still insisting that the president cannot place the judges under security watch, if so give an adduce...

wapSmart:

Agreed but are you still insisting that the president cannot place the judges under security watch, if so give an adduce...

The judiciary would have to interpret that part of the presidential powers!!! Bros face reality, in a democratic system all arms of government are powerful and cannot be intimidated by any other arm.

Buhari is powerless over the judiciary and the NASS

chukwudi44:

The judiciary would have to interpret that part of the presidential powers!!! Bros face reality, in a democratic system all arms of government are powerful and cannot be intimidated by any other arm.

Buhari is powerless over the judiciary and the NASS

Okay i heard you. If he did place them under security watch please do me a favor by getting berserk and moreso i said you should provide an adduce. Is that too much to ask from my friend chukwudi

chukwudi44:
Besides media propaganda,the presidency have no power to discipline errant judges!!! That responsibility lies with the National Judicial council.The judges cannever be placed under security watch .

Buhari would not be stupid enough to fight the judiciary as he would be the one to lose out in the end.Which ever judgements this tribunals hand out will stand and there is nothing he or anyone elde can do about it.

Then I daresay the President would present any evidence gathered of judicial perfidy to the NJC.

And let's be honest....any little unfairness in the judicial process concerning elections....and there could be crisis. Hence the need for security watch.

Also....as seen in Osun....any allegation of interference with the judicial process must be resisted.

Bubu, bubu, buuuuuubu! How many times I call you? *in fela's voice* na palava u dey find o

As much as we want sanctity of the judiciary, i hope the security agencies dont try to intimidate the judges to favour a single party.

Yea, I like this...Fighting corruption from every angle. If the only thing Buhari achieves in his time as President is to reduce corruption in Nigeria to the barest minimum, he would have done a lot.

The justice system is a major problem we are facing in this country. The judiciary should be probed and purged.

this country sef

ok

Pls hu av charger...same old shit evwidae...drag der, drag here...trust dem..its in dia favour nt d masses.

Seen

Having great winning

chukwudi44:

The judiciary would have to interpret that part of the presidential powers!!! Bros face reality, in a democratic system all arms of government are powerful and cannot be intimidated by any other arm.

Buhari is powerless over the judiciary and the NASS

Judges are not immune from prosecution and prosecution is initiated by the executive not the judiciary. Where a judge is found wanting, it is a law enforcement team that will gather the evidence. That is part of the checks and balances under the separation of powers; just like the NASS have impeachment powers. Let me ask, do you have anything against the judiciary being kept in order and incorruptible?

We need strong reforms in the judicial sector. For me, probing the judiciary should come first ahead of probing corrupt officials. Until the law is deem to be fair and 'no respecter of persons" then corruption will thrive. The instance where a Micheal snatches a bag at onitsha main market and then micheal rots in jail. And a senator steals billions belonging to pensioners and all he get his six month to run concurrently ( wonder who originates concurrently) . The citizens have lost hope in the judiciary...and the resultant effect is jungle justice everywhere.... let the court be what it is; the last hope of the common man

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