The Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) has accused the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) of trying the truncate the war against corruption, being waged by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group, in a statement said that the arrest of the judges is a fight against corruption and not against the judiciary as an institution.
The group said that no judge in Nigeria is granted immunity by the 1999 Constitution as amended and that like in other democratic climes, the security agencies can arrest and prosecute judges who have fallen outside the favour of legally-accepted conduct.
The BMSG said, in a statement signed by its coordinator, Malam Muhammad Labbo and secretary, Cassidy Madueke that the DSS followed due process and rule of law in carrying out the arrests, as they had valid and legally-issued search warrants before embarking on the assignment.
It said that the DSS followed the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 to the letter in every move they made, adding that the call by the NBA for a state of emergency and the ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari to “call his security agencies to order” does not only tantamount to impeding the anti-graft war of the administration, but also amounts to shielding suspects from facing the law against the ethics and obligations of the legal profession.
“As a responsible organization, it is expected that the Nigerian Bar Association will be in the forefront in educating Nigerians on the legality and propriety of the DSS action, and lend their total support to the reformation and cleansing of the Nigerian judiciary as it will ultimately serve the general good.”
The group reminded NBA that President Buhari was elected with the core mandate to rid Nigeria of corruption and asked Nigeria to give him all the support he need to succeed. [myad]
