Arrest of Judges: No body is above the law! - AGF

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, Tuesday, justified the arrest and detention of judges by operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS, saying “no one is or should be above the law”. 


Malami, who had on Monday, shunned a valedictory court session held in honour of one of its retired Justices, Suleiman Galadima, broke his silence on the matter after he inaugurated an Expert Review Committee on implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). 

Asked about his view on the raid and subsequent arrest of seven superior court Judges, including two Justices of the Supreme Court, Malami said: “Was there an allegation of crime? Was there relevant provision of criminal procedure responsible for investigation? “Is there an allegation of corruption? If there is, no body, no matter how highly placed will be spared. 

“The right to investigate has not been taken away from the constitution. The allegation boarders on criminality and no one is or should be above the law. “Neither the judiciary or the executive will be exempted from investigation”, the AGF stated.

 It will be recalled that operatives of the DSS had within the weekend, clamped down on seven judges accused of complicity in acts of corruption. Aside Justices Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta, both of the Supreme Court, other judges arrested and detained by the DSS were Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court Abuja, Kabir Auta of the Kano High Court, Muazu Pindiga of Gombe High Court, Mohammed Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal in Ilorin, and the Chief Judge of Enugu State, I. A. Umezulike. 

The seven judges were subsequently granted administrative bail, preparatory to their formal arraignment in court. However, the National Judicial Council, NJC, which is headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, is currently holding an emergency meeting at its headquarters in Abuja. 






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