Nigeria, Oct 9, 2016 – Human Rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana has described the nocturnal invasion and arrest of judges throughout the federation by operatives of the Department of State Security(DSS) as nothing but a clarion call on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to purge the judiciary of corrupt judges and lawyers.
Falana who was speaking on TVC said that he and the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), know judges who are corrupt.
“The NBA knows corrupt judges, we know them’’, he said adding that lawyers of his calibre who stood for what is right were treated like lepers. “It is a clarion call on judiciary”, the SAN said.
He said the judiciary would not have come to this if the NBA has acted. He said the arrest has not in anyway undermined the Independence of the judiciary. According to him, it is for the judiciary to tighten loose end and go after those who are corrupt.
“We have failed to use the statutory body recognised by law to discipline corrupt judges hence this embarrassment’’, he said, adding that what DSS acted on regrettably have been before the NJC.
He said some of the judges have been released and called on government to release the rest on bail until the Federal Government is ready to put them on trial.
“All of them should be released until FG is ready to file charges”, he said, adding that if the Federal Government fails to release them, the bar should go to court and secure their release.
He said those criticising the manner of arrest are not correct. He argued that the DSS has powers to arrest the judges since DSS report is often required during the screening process of judges.
He said that many of those crying foul don’t make noise when the rights of the poor are trampled.
