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African Bar condemns arrest, invasion of judges’ homes

By NAN
10 October 2016   |   11:18 am
AFBA President, Hannibal Uwaifo, said that the action of the security agents was a violation of the principles of the rule of law and tenets of separation of power.
AFBA President, Hannibal Uwaifo

AFBA President, Hannibal Uwaifo

The African Bar Association (AFBA) says it is shocked about the arrest of some judges and invasion their homes by security agents in Nigeria.

AFBA President, Hannibal Uwaifo, said that the action of the security agents was a violation of the principles of the rule of law and tenets of separation of power.

“The AFBA demands the immediate release of all detained judges and judicial officers, the stoppage of further invasion of their homes under any guise and strict obedience to the rule of law.

“The African Bar believes that these grave violations represent a serious setback for growth and development and will not portray Nigeria and Africa well in the international arena,” AFBA in a statement.

Uwaifo said that the association would work with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to ensure that the violation was quickly and decisively addressed.

He added that although AFBA condemned corruption, it would not tolerate the use of “gestapo tactics” or any other extra legal means to address it.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that operatives of the Department of State Service, on Friday and Saturday, invaded the homes of some judges and made some arrests.

3 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    All of you are thieves because nobody is talking about all bribes taken to subvert justice; all cache of cash recovered in different denominations thereby abusing the cashless society policy of CBN. All of you should go to blazes

    • Author’s gravatar

      Okpada, one can easily understand your annoyance with the alleged bribery and or corruptions attributed to the judges by DSS.. But you might also consider the points of view being advocated by Bar Association s and other legal stakeholders as follows:
      1. DSS have not shown proof that the accused judges took bribe or kept so much money in their house, by announcing in the radio or newspapers does not make it true. It is just making an accusation.
      2. DSS have to show the money, prove who gave the judges the money and the time or period the judges got the money.
      3. DSS have to present their proofs before an independent legal body(court or Nigerian Judicial Council) to examine the presented evidence and then warrant or authorize the arrest and or discpline of the accused judges
      3. DSS did not do 1& 2 above, therefore DSS is breaking the law by arresting the judges first. DSS have abused their power and abused the law. DSS have abrogated the power of Judiciary to themselves.
      The Bar Associations is the number one promoter and defender of law, justice, due process and practice of law. Would Bar Association be playing their role by keeping quiet when DSS is breaking the law or speaking out as they did?

      • Author’s gravatar

        Please I am not only annonyed but also angry with the way we jumped into this matter without details. First these judges were invited since wedneday last week, and they chose to send their lawyers to represent them except one. And knowing fully well that they will arrested on monday, their lawyers have gone to perfect interlocutory injunction to restrain the DSS from arresting them; and the DSS have known what their plans were, hurriedly pick a search and arrest warrant from a court on Friday thereby leading the arrest and the whole controversy. Let it be known that all of search was done on camera overtly and not covertly in any way. So let us be very through because in the judiciary is worst of corruption in Nigeria if one cannot get justices from this holy temple consider to be the last hope of the common man.