The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has, has accused the federal executive of moves to intimidate the judiciary with the arrest of the two Justices of the Supreme Court, whose homes were raided by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS).
The NBA President, Abubakar Mamoud (SAN), who spoke to news men in Lagos today, Saturday called on to immediately and unconditionally release of the arrested judges, even as the Association declared a State of Emergency on the judiciary.
Abubakar who made it clear that there will be consequences if the demand for the release of the judges is not met immediately said: “DSS has been carrying out raids in the houses of Justices of the Supreme Court and that of judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Gomber and Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“Some family members of the judges were manhandled. We gathered that the raids were carried out at 2a.m. We condemn the raids in the strongest possible terms. We are in a democratic society and we cannot accept a situation where armed masked DSS operatives invade the homes of the Justices the Supreme Court and judges of our high courts. This is a ploy by the executive to intimidate the judiciary and we will not accept it.”
The NBA President who spoke alongside three past Presidents of the association, namely Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), said that the Association would not accept anything less than the release of the judges.
“I want to emphasize again that we’re not under military rule and we cannot accept this Gestapo style of operations. First, the NBA demands the immediate and unconditional release of the Justices the Supreme Court still being held by the DSS without further delay.
“The DSS should limit itself to its constitutional duties and responsibilities. We demand that President Muhammadu Buhari should call his security agencies to order as this kind of practice is not acceptable under a democratic rule.
“If there are issues affecting judicial officers, there are established processes and procedures for handling them and we demand that these constitutional processes must be obeyed.
“I have declared a state of emergency on the legal profession over the matter and I have invited past Presidents and Secretary Generals of the association.” [myad]
