President Muhammadu Buhari has made his first official reaction to the arrest of seven senior judges between Friday night and Saturday morning.

Mr. Buhari said the raids on the judges residence by the State Security Service, SSS, was an assault on corruption and not on the judiciary.

Seven judges, including two of the Supreme Court, were arrested in the raids, condemned by lawyers and rights groups, and are expected to be charged to court from tomorrow.

The president in a statement by his media adviser, Garba Shehu, described the raids as ‘surgical’ saying due process was followed in the arrests.

“The Presidency has received assurances from the DSS that all due processes of the law, including the possession of search and arrest warrants were obtained before the searches,” he said.
Read Mr. Shehu’s full statement below:
The Presidency assures that the President reserves his highest respect for the institution of the judiciary as the third arm of government.
To this end, the President will not do anything to undermine its independence.


President Buhari remains a committed democrat, in words and in his actions, and will not take any action in violation of the constitution.
The recent surgical operation against some judicial officers is specifically targeted at corruption and not at the judiciary as an institution.

In a robust democracy such as ours, there is bound to be a plurality of opinions on any given issue, but there is a convergence of views that the country has a corruption problem that needs to be corrected.
But reports by a section of the media are giving us cause for concern.

In undertaking the task of reporting, the media should be careful about the fault lines they open. It is wrong to present this incident as a confrontation between the executive and judicial arms of government.

The Presidency has received assurances from the DSS that all due processes of the law, including the possession of search and arrest warrants were obtained before the searches.

To suggest that the government is acting outside the law in a dictatorial manner is to breach the interest of the state.


Premium Times Nigeria http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/212420-buhari-speaks-arrest-judges-says-corruption-not-judiciary-attack.html

These illiterates and idiotic people in the Presidency know nothing about our laws including the lawless SSS. Were those Justices terrorists that stupid 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

id911:
These illiterates and idiotic people in the Presidency know nothing about our laws including the lawless SSS. Were those Justices terrorists that stupid 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

Actually they know alot more about the law than you or i. They have exceptionally well trained lawyers in their employ who render very sound legal advice. If the arrested judges feel their rights were trampled on, they can always sue the DSS in the courts run by their peers

kropotkin2:
Actually they know alot more about the law than you or i. They have exceptionally well trained lawyers in their employ who render very sound legal advice. If the arrested judges feel their rights were trampled on, they can always sue the DSS in the courts run by their peers

Can you please enumerate the statutory responsibilities of SSS?

id911:


Can you please enumerate the statutory responsibilities of SSS?

Internal state security.


The mission of the SSS is to protect and defend the Federal Republic of Nigeria against domestic threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of Nigeria, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to both federal and state law-enforcement organs. The SSS is also charged with the protection of the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, State Governors, their immediate families, other high ranking government officials, past presidents and their spouses, certain candidates for the offices of President and Vice President, and visiting foreign heads of state and government. The SSS has constantly adapted to various roles necessitated by evolving security threats in Nigeria including counter-terrorism and counter-insurgent




The State Security Service shall be charged with responsibility for-

(a) the prevention and detection within Nigeria of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria;

(b) the protection and preservation of all non-military classified matters concerning the internal security of Nigeria; and

(c) such other responsibilities affecting internal security within Nigeria as the National Assembly or the President, as the case may be, may deem necessary.

(4) The provisions of subsections (I), (2) and (3) of this section shall have effect notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, or any matter therein mentioned.



http://lawnigeria.com/LawsoftheFederation/NATIONAL-SECURITY-AGENCIES-ACT.html

kropotkin2:
Internal state security.


The mission of the SSS is to protect and defend the Federal Republic of Nigeria against domestic threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of Nigeria, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to both federal and state law-enforcement organs. The SSS is also charged with the protection of the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, State Governors, their immediate families, other high ranking government officials, past presidents and their spouses, certain candidates for the offices of President and Vice President, and visiting foreign heads of state and government. The SSS has constantly adapted to various roles necessitated by evolving security threats in Nigeria including counter-terrorism and counter-insurgent




The State Security Service shall be charged with responsibility for-

(a) the prevention and detection within Nigeria of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria;

(b) the protection and preservation of all non-military classified matters concerning the internal security of Nigeria; and

(c) such other responsibilities affecting internal security within Nigeria as the National Assembly or the President, as the case may be, may deem necessary.

(4) The provisions of subsections (I), (2) and (3) of this section shall have effect notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, or any matter therein mentioned.



http://lawnigeria.com/LawsoftheFederation/NATIONAL-SECURITY-AGENCIES-ACT.html

From what you've exhumed up there, where did it state it's their job to prosecute erring judges? Are corruption cases in the judiciary amount to cases that jeopardise internal security? If Justices' alleged corrupt cases are undertaken by SSS, what are now the functions of Police, EFCC, ICPC and NJC in issues of this nature? References to the Act establishing each of them may be helpful when replying.

Whacked !!!! DSS now fighting corruption as core mandate. How did we get here?

kropotkin2:
Internal state security.


The mission of the SSS is to protect and defend the Federal Republic of Nigeria against domestic threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of Nigeria, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to both federal and state law-enforcement organs. The SSS is also charged with the protection of the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, State Governors, their immediate families, other high ranking government officials, past presidents and their spouses, certain candidates for the offices of President and Vice President, and visiting foreign heads of state and government. The SSS has constantly adapted to various roles necessitated by evolving security threats in Nigeria including counter-terrorism and counter-insurgent




The State Security Service shall be charged with responsibility for-

(a) the prevention and detection within Nigeria of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria;

(b) the protection and preservation of all non-military classified matters concerning the internal security of Nigeria; and

(c) such other responsibilities affecting internal security within Nigeria as the National Assembly or the President, as the case may be, may deem necessary.

(4) The provisions of subsections (I), (2) and (3) of this section shall have effect notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, or any matter therein mentioned.



http://lawnigeria.com/LawsoftheFederation/NATIONAL-SECURITY-AGENCIES-ACT.html

all what you posted there and I saw is internal security, so how did it relate to kidnapping judges. Or has icpc and efcc work now changed to protecting govt officials and gathering intelligence report?.

Funny people and funny government.

Observant:
Funny people and funny government.

Do you think Buhari's team going to fail and get convictions. We know arrestING them is easy part this is real test.

I support my president on this.

Over 100 men of the DSS raided just two judges in the wee hour of the night- tearing down building with sledge hammer and beating up occupants in a commando style as if the are searching for Lawrence Anini and sheik Abubakar Shekau .
100 DSS can agree in a very large personnel operation to hit on a minute judge yet they could not go in THESAME number to storm Sambisa and free the Chibok girls.
With this rejoinder from the presidency , it is a proof that Buhari was the orchestra of this madness. I believe the NASS are still awake and alive to their responsibilities of checking this ILLITERATE TYRANT before he becomes too powerful .