Two more judges were yesterday arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS), taking the number of judges so far picked up to nine.

Justices Bashir Sukola and Ladan Manir of the Kaduna State High Court, were arrested in Kaduna and taken to the DSS Headquarters in Abuja at about 8.30pm.

A top source said they were immediately taken in for interrogation.

Six other judges are under probe.

The DSS, it was learnt yesterday, has frozen the accounts of some of the judges under investigation.

In some of the accounts are “huge lodgments”, a source said yesterday.

The agency has received more petitions against the judges. Many of the petitioners, it was learnt, are willing to testify against them.

There were strong indications last night that the judges might be arraigned in court next week because the DSS has set a deadline in order not to extend the investigation of the judges beyond this week.

All of them are to face trial, the source said.
Under probe are two Supreme Court Justices – Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro – the suspended Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, who was picked up in Sokoto; Justice Adeniyi Ademola (Federal High Court); the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike; Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court; and Justice Muazu Pindiga (Gombe State High Court).

The source, who spoke in confidence because he is not allowed to talk to the media about the investigation, said: “Some accounts have been frozen through orders of the court. This affects some of the judges. Not all of them.

“We found some huge lodgements that are questionable in some accounts and in addition to that we also observed the inflow of their salaries over a long period without them making any withdrawal at all.

“What that means is that they don’t live on their salaries at all. Those accounts have been frozen but as I said not all of the judges are affected.”

On why the judges were yet to be charged to court, the source added: “We are waiting for the action of the NJC. We expect the NJC to suspend them, otherwise it’s like taking a sitting judge to court.

“In the Service, when anybody is being investigated for any serious crime, the first thing we do is to place such a person on suspension.

“After the investigation, such a person would face trial and get dismissed from service on conviction and later face prosecution in the law court.”

Asked what will happen if they are not suspended, the source quipped: “The NJC does not have the luxury not to suspend them.

“We wrote the NJC on Monday but we haven’t received any response.”

There has been a rumour of a hot exchange of words between the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed and the Director-General of the DSS, Mr. Lawan Daura on Monday during a session with the President. “There was no such meeting,” the source said.

The secret service is said to have discovered that a governor, who is sympathetic to the judges, was behind the online publications against the DG of DSS.

The source said: “There is no truth in that at all. There was never such a meeting. The President does not even have such luxury of time.

“Maybe what they are referring to was the visit of the Chief Justice to the DSS headquarters on Sunday afternoon.

“The CJN paid a solidarity visit to the detained judges and expressed some concern. He probably saw the DG too when he learnt that he was in his office at the time of his visit.

“The CJN did not even know that they would be released on bail later that Sunday evening.

“We know it is the handwork of a governor to launch vitriolic media attacks on the DSS. We also know those being used. But Nigeria is greater than all.”

The source gave insights into more petitions being received against the judges by those described as “victims” of bribe.

He expressed confidence that the trial of the judges might begin next week because the DSS has set a timeline to conclude the investigation on or before the end of the week.

The source said: “We are almost through with investigation. The ongoing investigation is not supposed to go beyond this week.

“We have written the NJC about what has happened and we expect the NJC to take some decisions about the affected judges this week. Once that is done, hopefully by next week or thereabouts, we should arraign them in court.

“For now more facts in the form of petitions are coming in about the judges. It’s like everyone who has had cause to go to court for one reason or the other has been a victim.

“Some victims have even indicated their readiness to testify in court.”

The source added that contrary to insinuations, steps were taken to accord the seven judges arrested at the weekend the desired respect before their arrest and while they were in custody.

The sourced added: “Justice Ademola Adeniyi requested that his lawyer should be present before his residence could be searched.

“The counsel came, examined the search warrant and confirmed the validity of the warrant. He thereafter asked the judge to cooperate with the DSS team.

“Some of the judges also allowed their lawyers to witness the search of their homes.”


http://thenationonlineng.net/two-judges-held-dss-freezes-accounts/

The judiciary must be cleansed including the NJC. Meanwhile see letters showing that this case started a long time ago. Courtesy of ukeyibio

They just want to silent this arm of the government but

Front page

" A corrupt judge is more harmful to the society than a mad man who runs amok with a dagger in crowded street. The latter can be restrained physically but a corrupt judge deliberately destroys the moral foundation of society and causes incalculable distress to individuals through abusing his office while still being refered to as honorable"
Justice muhammadu Uwais.

horlabiyi:
They just want to silent this arm of the government but

Olabiyi,you need to receive sense, pls do before it is too late!!

In some of the accounts are “huge lodgments”, a source said yesterday.

Does this in anyway sound "normal" to you? Stop supporting iwa ibaje nitori atenuje!!!

Meanwhile here is a copy of the search warrant for justice Ademola circulating online

horlabiyi:
They just want to silent this arm of the government but

"Money, they say, is the root of all evil. The bench is definitely not the place to make money. A corrupt judge is, thus, a great vermin, the greatest curse ever to afflict any nation."
Justice chukwudifu oputa.

modath:


Olabiyi,you need to receive sense, pls do before it is too late!!





Does this in anyway sound "normal" to you? Stop supporting iwa ibaje nitori atenuje!!!

u dey mind am? People like him gives this country more problem cos of their undying support for corruption.

modath:


Olabiyi,you need to receive sense, pls do before it is too late!!





Does this in anyway sound "normal" to you? Stop supporting iwa ibaje nitori atenuje!!!

What is a crime in having huge lodgement? From what is been peddled about the DSS has nothing concrete on this judges. It is not a crime for someone to have huge lodgements or for them not to have touched their salaries for a very long time.

I am sure most of these Judges have other investments like so many other Nigerians.Who relies on just one source of income in this country?

ok...

Oche211:

A corrupt judge is, thus, a great vermin, the greatest curse ever to afflict any nation.

A corrupt judge is as bad as a corrupt president. You will have to prove someone is corrupt before calling him corrupt

kcnwaigbo:

A corrupt judge is as bad as a corrupt president. You will have to prove someone is corrupt before calling him corrupt

Abi

whether una like its of No nigeria must work.....Good bless buhari

When will Buhari arrest Burantashi and Dambazzou

Hypocrisy will destroy Nigeria

kcnwaigbo:

What is a crime in having huge lodgement? From what is been peddled about the DSS has nothing concrete on this judges.

Help a civil servant explain source of funds running into hundreds of millions...

It is not a crime for someone to have huge lodgements or for them not to have touched their salaries for a very long time.

of course nah, they have "investments" especially when they are living on "proceeds of fresh air"

I am sure most of these Judges have other investments like so many other Nigerians.Who relies on just one source of income in this country?

Kindly lead me to the kind of business anyone can start with a sum of 10m or thereabout and will be making hundreds of millions yearly, abeg make a join am, thank you.






*sidebar* sincerely, I don't know why I'm dignifying this with a response, humans shouldn't do this to themselves in the name of "opposition" abeg?

kcnwaigbo:

A corrupt judge is as bad as a corrupt president. You will have to prove someone is corrupt before calling him corrupt

really? Nw i knw we ve a long way to go in this country whn we ve people who reason like this. So what DSS ve been finding, the cash, the properties nd the assests, na all paper Abi? We all knw the arms of government are fantastically corrupt. U need deliverance if u don't knw that fact.

The NJC should do the needful, suspend the judges so that their trial would start.

Oche211:

really? Nw i knw we ve a long way to go in this country whn we ve people who reason like this. So what DSS ve been finding, the cash, the properties nd the assests, na all paper Abi? We all knw the arms of government are fantastically corrupt. U need deliverance if u don't knw that fact.

Since when did it become a crime to keep money at home or to own property? You people should be smarter thsn this!!!Osinbanjo declared More assets then all this and yet some of these judges have been practising law long before him

OrlandoOwoh:
The NJC should do the needful, suspend the judges so that their trial would start.

The NJC would only suspend the judges if there is substantial evidence that there are corrupt. If you read their correspondence to the DSS they stated clearly that the DSS could not substantiate it's claims against justice Pindiga


The NJC would not be stampeded into suspending the judges without proof

horlabiyi:
They just want to silent this arm of the government but

What about those who this arm of government has unjustly silent...

modath:


Help a civil servant explain source of funds running into hundreds of millions...



of course nah, they have "investments" especially when they are living on "proceeds of fresh air"








Kindly lead me to the kind of business anyone can start with a sum of 10m or thereabout and will be making hundreds of millions yearly, abeg make a join am, thank you.






*sidebar* sincerely, I don't know why I'm dignifying this with a response, humans shouldn't do this to themselves in the name of "opposition" abeg?

Some of these men have been doing law for decades !!! There are lots of business you can start with even less than N10million and become a millionaire in less than 10 years.

Go and ask some of these Igbo's in ladipo and alaba how much they were settled by their bosses.I bet you none of them will tell you anything close to N5m and yet today some of them are worth hundreds of millions

EternalTruths:
When will Buhari arrest Burantashi and Dambazzou

Hypocrisy will destroy Nigeria

How i wish you asked GEJ when he will arrest DANSUKI

The judicial career of the indicted Judges is technically over.

kcnwaigbo:

Since when did it become a crime to keep money at home or to own property? You people should be smarter thsn this!!!Osinbanjo declared More assets then all this and yet some of these judges have been practising law long before him

Honestly, nw i give up on u. Ur hate nd sentiment isn't worth discussing urgent matters of national interest with.

babdap:
The judicial career of the indicted Judges is technically over.

No judges career is over unless there are suspended by the NJC.The NJC is the only body that can suspend or derobe a judge.If they are not suspended by the NJC,they will continue to sit

Oche211:

Honestly, nw i give up on u. Ur hate nd sentiment isn't worth discussing urgent matters of national interest with.

I am stating legal facts for you.kindly dispute any of them. There is no room for assumptions in law.You must be able to prove your case beyond reasonable doubt

kcnwaigbo:

Some of these men have been doing law for decades !!! There are lots of business you can start with even less than N10million and become a millionaire in less than 10 years.

Go and ask some of these Igbo's in ladipo and alaba how much they were settled by their bosses.I bet you none of them will tell you anything close to N5m and yet today some of them are worth hundreds of millions

If they have other sources of income, its left to them to come out clear on this...you taking medicine upon another man's headache...do you think you can defend a judge more than he can defend himself its very funny non of those judges has denied any of the accusations, its we the hungry looking zombies that are acting their advocate...there is no way you will earn a honest income from a legitimate source without tax deductions...Been it investment income or otherwise...

kcnwaigbo:

Some of these men have been doing law for decades !!! There are lots of business you can start with even less than N10million and become a millionaire in less than 10 years.

Bros, you see what we say about comprehension? You are off the mark!!! Totally..... I asked for specifics since you are speaking for people who earn between 10-15m annually but have "huge lodgements" touching hundreds of millions...

Not "there are lots of businesses", you should know what the judges do exactly since you are privy to the bountiful pay off investments they are into as their advocate, no be so?

Go and ask some of these Igbo's in ladipo and alaba how much they were settled by their bosses.I bet you none of them will tell you anything close to N5m and yet today some of them are worth hundreds of millions

Settled with 5m and worth hundreds of millions doing nothing special from what others are doing..... of course, e easy nah, but no one is in the dark about the specific "side businesses" they engage in that gives such stupendous returns... that isn't commensurate to what the investment is all about, but it's too early to go into that!!! All na hardwork! Make we leave am like that for now.

*mic drop* BYE!!

On why the judges were yet to be charged to court, the source added: “We are waiting for the action of the NJC. We expect the NJC to suspend them, otherwise it’s like taking a sitting judge to court.

“In the Service, when anybody is being investigated for any serious crime, the first thing we do is to place such a person on suspension.

NJC should do the needful and let trials begin

Aristo3146:
If they have other sources of income, its left to them to come out clear on this...you taking medicine upon another man's headache...do you think you can defend a judge more than he can defend himself its very funny non of those judges has denied any of the accusations, its we the hungry looking zombies that are acting their advocate...there is no way you will earn a honest income from a legitimate source without tax deductions...Been it investment income or otherwise...

It is the responsibility of he who alleges to prove.The DSS must be able to prove the monies were proceeds of a particular corrupt activity. You don't take someone's money and ask him to prove he didn't get it through corruption, the law doesn't work that way.I am however sure the judges would be ready ti explain alternative sources of their income but the law expects the DSS to prove that the monies were sourced from corruption and not the other way round