The Department of State Service (DSS) on Saturday accused a state governor and another security agency of helping a judge escape with $2 million believed to be proceed of fraud.
It said the money was moved because of failure to access the judge’s home during an early morning raid.
The revelation was made in a statement signed by Abdullahi Garba on behalf of the secret police and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
Garba said: “In one of the States where the Service’s operations were conducted, credible intelligence revealed that the judge had two million dollars stashed in his house.
“When he was approached for due search to be conducted, he, in concert with the State Governor, mobilised thugs against the service team.
“The team restrained itself in the face of unbridled provocative activities by those brought in by the governor.
“Unfortunately, the judge and governor also engaged the tacit support of a sister security agency.”
He also said: “The service surveillance team noticed that upon frustrating the operation, the judge with the active support of the governor craftily moved the money to an unknown location which the service is currently making effort to unravel.”
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had earlier admitted to preventing the DSS from arresting a judge in the wee hours of Saturday.
The DSS reportedly stormed the residence of Justice Uche Agomuo of the Federal High Court (FHC), Port Harcourt, an action Wike described as failed abduction.
Garba, however, said the DSS had in the past days embarked on series of special sting operations involving some judges of the Supreme, Appeal and High Courts.
He said the operations were based on allegations of corruption and other acts of professional misconduct by the suspected judges.
According to him, the service’s action is in line with its core mandate.
Garba stated: “We have been monitoring the expensive and luxurious lifestyle of some of the judges as well as complaints from the concerned public over judgment obtained fraudulently and on the basis of amounts of money paid.
“The judges involved were invited, upon which due diligence was exhibited and their premises searched.
“The searches have uncovered huge raw cash of various denominations, local and foreign currencies, with real estate worth several millions of naira and documents affirming unholy acts by these judges.”
Garba added that some of the judges had made useful statements while a few declined even with the glaring evidences that were found against them.
The statement said: “The summaries of the recovered money include N93,558 million $530,087, £25,970 and €5,680.
“Other foreign currencies were also recovered from just three of the judges.
“This seizure is in addition to other banking documents, including real estate documents.”
According to the statement, preparations are ongoing to arraign the judges in a competent court of jurisdiction in line with the laws of the country.
It also stated: “The service has never invited Justice Walter Onnoghen of the Supreme Court for investigation, neither is he being investigated.
“The service has tremendous respect for the judiciary and would not do anything to undermine it or its activities.
“The service will also join hands with this noble institution in its fight to rid it of few corrupt judges whose actions are undermining not only the judiciary but the common bond of our national life.”
The statement, however, said the current operation would be sustained till sanity and sanctity were restored to the esteemed third arm of government and public confidence regained.
Garba also urged members of the public to avail the service of any information which could assist in this drive to rid the nation of corrupt practices and tendencies.
Below is the breakdown of the cash recovered from the homes of the judges:
- Justice Adeniyi F. Ademola
N54 million
$171,779.00
£80.00
1,010.00 Rupees
€4,400.00
- Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta
N35,208,000
$319,475
£25,890
€280
380 Diram
420 Gambia Dalais
4 Argentine notes
20 Ghana Cedis
- Justice John Inyang Okoro
N4,350,000
$38,833
£25,890
€1,000.00.
