Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Sunday criticised the Nigerian Bar Association for demanding the unconditional release of the judges arrested by the Department of State Services between Friday and Saturday.

He described the demand by the leadership of the NBA as an embarrassment to the “incorruptible members of the bar”.

The operatives of the DSS had raided the official quarters of judges at Abuja, Gombe, Kano and Port Harcourt and ended up arresting at least four judicial officers.
The arrested judicial officers comprised two Justices of the Supreme Court – Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro – as well as Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court and another judge of the Gombe State High Court, Justice Mu’azu Pindiga.
In a statement issued at the end of the raid, the DSS alleged that the suspects had engaged in judicial misconduct and corrupt practices, adding that a huge amount of money was recovered from three of the judges.

In response to the raid, the NBA had declared a state of emergency and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the judges.

Falana, however, criticised the move, saying, “In particular, the Nigerian Bar Association which has information on all corrupt judges and lawyers in the country has continued to shield them to the embarrassment of incorruptible members of the bar and the bench.

“The few lawyers who have plucked up the courage to expose corrupt judges and lawyers have been stigmatised and treated like lepers by their colleagues.

“It is on record that when both the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission sent invitation letters to judges suspected of corruption they had rushed to the Federal High Court to obtain interlocutory injunctions to prevent their arrest, investigation and prosecution.”

He said members of the legal profession had themselves to blame for the harassment of judges by security forces as they had failed to take advantage of the relevant statutory disciplinary bodies to purge the bar and the bench of corrupt elements.

“It is on account of negligence on the part of the legal profession that the SSS which screens candidates before they are recommended by the National Judicial Council for appointment as judges has now engaged in the arrest of judges for alleged corruption and abuse of office,” he said.

Falana, however, said because the detained judges “are presumed innocent until the contrary is proved by the State, they should be admitted to bail in self recognisance.”

He urged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to ensure that the judges were immediately arraigned without delay.

He lamented the state of the legal profession, saying, “It is a matter of grave concern that the legal profession has allowed the denigration of the hallowed temple of justice because of the misconduct of a few corrupt judges.

“For several years, judges who committed grave criminal offences were not prosecuted but merely retired by the authorities on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.

“Although the National Judicial Council recently recommended the dismissal and prosecution of a judge for extorting the sum of N197m from a litigant the authorities had paid lip service to the menace of judicial corruption in the country.”

http://thenigerialawyer.com/falana-slams-nba-says-demand-for-judges-unconditional-release-embarrassing/

It is sad to see the kind of lawyers in the breed today. The irresistible urge to rush to the internet with balder dash on any new issue is alarming as it is embarrassing. A lawyer ponders before writing not write before pondering. Do not derail us from the main point by your unending myopia. The Judiciary is NOT under attack, Corruption is. That's the POINT.

Femi Falana definately didn't graduate from any law school, he must have studied hypocrisy and confusion from an approved NURTW motor park. Were those Justices terrorists that lawless SSS would go pulled down their doors and residences in the night to arrest them? Were they National Security Threat? Is it the job of SSS to handle corruption cases?

The presidency game plan is to frame up Justice Walter Onnoghen so that he won't be made Chief Justice of Nigeria since he has already been recommended by NJC. They want their lackey to be there as CJN. Very divisive, tribalistic and stupid people

Charlatan at work...

siraj1402:
It is sad to see the kind of lawyers in the breed today. The irresistible urge to rush to the internet with balder dash on any new issue is alarming as it is embarrassing. A lawyer ponders before writing not write before pondering. Do not derail us from the main point by your unending myopia. The Judiciary is NOT under attack, Corruption is. That's the POINT.

The DSS sent well over 100 of its officers, police and soldeirs to raid the homes of each judge arrested in a pre-dawn raid.

This was a show of force and an attempt to intimidate the judiciary.

Have they sent this number of men in a single raid mission to Sambisa forest or to arrest Buhari's kinsmen terrorising farmers in the middle belt and south?

Buhari has continued to abuse the phrase "anti-corruption" since Dec 31st, 1983 when he overthrew a democratically elected civilian govt.

His anti-corruotion nonsense is just a gimmick to muzzle opposition to his fascist rule.

This same tyrant who is abusing his alloted powers has never deemed it fit to appear before any public panel of inquiry to account for his management of public funds and office. He refused to appear before the 1980 Senate Inquiry on Oil sales under his watch as minister of petroleum and also declined to attend a panel set up to investigate th activities of the PTF under his watch.

This same hypocrite also had to enact a retrogressive decree to criminalise journalists and media outlets who dared report on corruption under his 20mth despotic regime. Decree 4 even went a step further stating that irrespective of the validity of the allegation, journalists and media outlets who report on corruption acts of the military junta will still face conviction for embarrassing members of the FMG. Is this a man of honour or one fearing to be exposed for who he really is ?

When you peel of Buhari's mythical puritan mask all that you are left with is an angry, grossly unqualified, vengeful, tribalistic bigoted despot

To compound issues the courts were sidelined and military tribunals where setup to oversee cases and if found guilty the convictions could not be appealed or challenged.

You are obviously working for this govt posting your rubbish here to promote despotism but one thing you should remember is that buhari is neither God or immortal. Buhari is even closer to the grave than all of us here and sooner or later whether he chooses to transform himself to life president, he must surely pass on and all of you serving under and or defending him will be left to account for your roles in his despotic rule.


It will surely come to pass.

Confused government. Always starting what they cant finish. yet to sentence any corrupt official. Waiting to see hw these would end...

APCLyingBastard:


The DSS sent well over 100 of its officers, police and soldeirs to raid the homes of each judge arrested in a pre-dawn raid.

This was a show of force and an attempt to intimidate the judiciary.

Have they sent this number of men in a single raid mission to Sambisa forest or to arrest Buhari's kinsmen terrorising farmers in the middle belt and south?

Buhari has continued to abuse the phrase "anti-corruption" since Dec 31st, 1983 when he overthrew a democratically elected civilian govt.

His anti-corruotion nonsense is just a gimmick to muzzle opposition to his fascist rule.

This same tyrant who is abusing his alloted powers has never deemed it fit to appear before any public panel of inquiry to account for his management of public funds and office. He refused to appear before the 1980 Senate Inquiry on Oil sales under his watch as minister of petroleum and also declined to attend a panel set up to investigate th activities of the PTF under his watch.

This same hypocrite also had to enact a retrogressive decree to criminalise journalists and media outlets who dared report on corruption under his 20mth despotic regime. Decree 4 even went a step further stating that irrespective of the validity of the allegation, journalists and media outlets who report on corruption acts of the military junta will still face conviction for embarrassing members of the FMG. Is this a man of honour or one fearing to be exposed for who he really is ?

When you peel of Buhari's mythical puritan mask all that you are left with is an angry, p qualified, vengeful, tribalistic bigoted despot

To compound issues the courts were sidelined and military tribunals where setup to oversee cases and if found guilty the convictions could not be appealed or challenged.

You are obviously working for this govt posting your rubbish here to promote despotism but one thing you should remember is that buhari is neither God or immortal. Buhari is even closer to the grave than all of us here and sooner or later whether he chooses to transform himself to life president, he must surely pass on and all of you serving under and or defending him will be left to account for your roles in his despotic rule.


It will surely come to pass.

u hav succeeded in writing rubbish. We are going to collect our country back from you thieves either legally or illegally. Go and tell this to those that are in prison because of the actions of these corrupt judges and let's see maybe you 'll come out alive

asitis752:
u hav succeeded in writing rubbish. We are going to collect our country back from you thieves either legally or illegally. Go and tell this to those that are in prison because of the actions of these corrupt judges and let's see maybe you 'll come out alive

Very soon the Prisons yards will be the only sane place left leaving you zombies to roam free range in your crase world.

Nah crase world you dey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np6K44jP79o

Wow falana I like is words.