Attorney General of the Federation , Abubakar Malami, has reacted to the allegations by some of the arrested judges that their arrest was targeted at getting back at them.
Speaking to our correspondent in a telephone interview through his Media Adviser, Comrade Salihu Isah, Malami advised the judges to keep whatever prove they have for the court.
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| AGF, Abubakar Malami |
Malami, who described their claims as an afterthought said he will not join issues with the judges at this stage so as not to jeopardise ongoing investigation.
“I wonder why they are saying that now. The courts are there, they should wait till the commencement of trial so that they can prove their innocence.
“I am not willing to join issues with anybody. The stage we are now is critical and I do not want anything that will compromise the trial; if they are seeking to get something from me, they will not.
“The judge should allow the law to take its course instead of clinging to the last straw to defend the allegations against him. At the end of the day, justice shall prevail. He should let the ongoing process take its full judicial course.”
It would be recalled that Justice Adeniyi Ademola and Nnamdi Dimgba both of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court currently under probe by the Department of State Services, DSS, accused Malami of being behind their travails.
Ademola, who narrated how 45 DSS operatives invaded his residence penultimate Friday and ‘abducted’ him, claimed he once ordered the detention of Malami for alleged professional misconduct.
He branded his arrest by the DSS as a ‘vendetta and revenge’ by Malami.
He further alleged that he was forced at gunpoint to sign the inventory of items DSS claimed to have recovered from his residence.
Ademola, who opened up in a report to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, said 45 DSS operatives invaded his home at midnight on October 7, to conduct a search.
He said he was picked up without any warrant of arrest.
Meanwhile, a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has slammed a N50bn suit against President Muhammadu Buhari, DSS and its Director-General, Lawal Daura, and four others for allegedly violating the rights of judges whose houses were raided between October 8 and 9.
Ogungbeje, in the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 14, sought 10 prayers.
He alleged in the suit that the arrest of the judges without recourse to the NJC was unlawful and amounted to humiliating them.
According to him, the DSS operations violated the rights of judges under sections 33, 34, 35, 36, and 41 of the Constitution.
He also sought an order awarding N50bn against the defendants as “general and exemplary damages” and another N2m as the cost of the suit.
He also sought an order compelling the DSS to return to the judges the sums of money recovered from them.
He also sought perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from arresting, inviting, intimidating, or harassing the judges with respect to the case.
Ogungbeje’s suit, however, is restricted to five of the arrested judges, who are still in active service, namely, Justices Ngwuta, Okoro, Ademola, Pindiga and Dimgba.
He contended in his suit that the raid on the residences of the judges and their arrest was unconstitutional.
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