DSS Raides Residence Of Judges In Six States, Abuja

DSS on Friday rounded up senior judges across the country suspected to have in one way or the other aided and abetted corruption over the years, recovering huge cash and documents linking the judges to exotic properties and suspected corrupt practices.
The operation was carried out simultaneously in the capital Abuja and in Sokoto, Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu and Gombe.

Multiple sources said the clampdown began in Gombe State where the DSS moved against Justice Muazu Pindiga, who served on the elections tribunal in Rivers State.

In Abuja, official quarters of Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro of the Supreme Court were besieged by the SSS for several hours overnight. The operation continued into early Saturday morning.

Also in the capital, the DSS stormed the homes of Nnamdi Dimgba and Adeniyi Ademola, both of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, located inside the Apo Legislative Quarters.

Three judges from Sokoto, Bauchi and Kano were also taken into custody for allegedly collecting bribes, according to a top source involved in the operation.
Similarly, a popular Federal High Court judge in Abuja from the South West and another who recently countered his colleague’s judgement relating to the ongoing PDP crisis, was also picked up.

Also taken into custody last night, were some suspected fraudulent court registrars, believed to have aided and abetted the sale of justice.

Another federal high court judge, who lives in Apo area of Abuja, had his house surrounded by DSS operatives as at the time of going to press but the secret police could not break in.

The judge who recently freed a retired Air Force officer accused of taking bribes running into billions of Naira, was scared and was calling for help, not knowing why he was surrounded by armed security men.

A top Federal Ministry of Justice official said last night: “The Federal Government has commenced the arrest and detention of some corrupt judges as part of its effort to cleanse the judiciary.

“This exercise has just begun and will continue until the bad eggs are flushed out to give the country a new lease of life.

” The operation may not be concluded tonight but I can assure you that we will carry it to a logical conclusion in the overall interest of the nation,” the official said .