The
Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Mr. Francis Odesanya, is under
fire for his role in the aborted arrest of a judge of the Federal High Court,
Port Harcourt, in the early hours of Saturday, it was
learnt on Sunday.
The
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, was said to have rushed to No. 35,
Forces Avenue, the GRA official residence of the judge and prevented operatives
of the Department of State Services from arresting the judge.
Wike,
who was said to have had a confrontation with the DSS officials, was said to
have been joined at the scene by the police commissioner.
A
highly-placed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, on Sunday, said
preliminary report had shown that Odesanya prevented the security agencies from
carrying out a legitimate order.
Based
on the report, he said the police authorities as well as the Police Service
Commission would sanction the police boss.
He,
however, did not disclose the kind of punishment to be meted out to him.
The
source stated, “The Rivers Commissioner of Police will be dealt with
appropriately. It has been established that the DSS officials who were at the
judge’s residence had with them duly signed search and arrest warrants.
“By
stopping the security agents from doing their work, what he did was to obstruct
justice. He stopped those people from carrying out a legitimate order.
“He
will be sanctioned accordingly.”
The
Public Relations Officer, Rivers State Command, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, had told
journalists that policemen were only at the judge’s residence to ensure there
was no breakdown of law and order.
It
was also learnt on Sunday that no fewer than 15 judges across the country were
under investigation by the DSS.
It
was gathered that the DSS was investigating the judges based on various
petitions, which accused them of corruption.
A
top Federal Government official, who confided on Sunday, said the 15 judges
included seven that were arrested on Friday and Saturday
The
DSS had, in what it called a sting operation, arrested Sylvester Ngwuta and
Inyang Okoro, both of the Supreme Court; the suspended Presiding Justice
of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya; Justice
Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court and Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the
Federal High Court, Abuja.
Other
arrested were a former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike, and
Muazu Pindiga of the Federal High Court, Gombe Division.
It
was gathered that besides the judges, the DSS had invited three court registry
staff across the country as part of the investigations into the alleged
corruption in the judiciary.
“Currently,
we are investigation 15 judges, including the seven that were arrested. Three
court registry staff have been invited and quizzed. We have facts and figures,”
the source stated.
The
government official faulted a claim that the DSS acted unilaterally without
carrying along the National Judicial Council.
He
stated that the Service sent letters to the NJC and the Ministry of Justice
concerning the investigations of the judges.
According
to him, while the ministry responded, the NJC did not respond, adding that the
DSS did not dramatise the arrest of the judges as alleged.
The
government official also explained that the fact that the judges were under the
authority of the NJC did not exclude them from investigation and prosecution.
He
stated, “They have no immunity. Even those (governors), who have immunity, can
be investigated. There are many professional groups, including the Nigeria
Union of Journalists; if you commit a crime, besides facing disciplinary
actions from your union, you should be investigated and prosecuted according to
the law of the country.”
The
source further explained the constitutional mandate of the DSS, adding that the
service had not intervened in what did not concern it by investigating the
judges.
Giving
an insight into the allegation against some of the judges, he alleged that some
of them received bribes to compromise judgments.
He
also cited the case of a judge who had a N1.5bn estate, alleging that granting
of bails to defendants had been turned into an avenue for making money by some
judicial officers.
Source:The
Punch
Tags
Society