Justice Adeniyi Ademola, one of the senior Judges arrested by officers of
the Department of State Security Services (DSS) last weekend has drawn a
battle line with the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami
and the DSS over his “unlawful” arrest and the justapo attack on his
residence by officers of the Service. TheBrief exclusively reports.
The arrest of several Judges nationwide has sparked wild controversies in
the country. The judges have been accused of involving in monumental
frauds and that large sums of money, denominated in naira and other
foreign currencies were found in their homes during the raid.
Supreme Court judges, Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta were arrested in
Abuja. Federal High Court judges, Adeniyi Ademola and Mohammed Tsamiya
were also arrested in Abuja.
Others arrested included, Kabir Auta, Kano; Muazu Pindiga, Gombe; and
Innocent Umezulike in Enugu.
The judges were released after initial plans to arraigned them stalled for
reasons not disclosed by the DSS.
Reacting to this development, one of the affected Judges, Justice Adeniyi
Ademola of Federal High Court Abuja narrated his ‘ordeals’ in the hands of
DSS Operatives.
Justice Ademola explained that when his residence at No, 30 Ogbemudia
Crescent, Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja was raided on 07/10/2016, about
45 Masked Officers of the DSS came for the sting operation.
“I saw at about 45 Masked Officers of the Department of Security Services
( DSS), all heavily armed pointing their guns at me. They flashed a
document purported to be a Search Warrant and Ordered me to sign on a
document claiming that that they had already conducted a search down
stairs. They also added that I was totally under their control today as I
have always made order against them (the DSS).
Justice Ademola explained further that after the search, which lasted for
about (6) six hours, he was handed a document “purported to be an
Inventory of the Items found upon their search and they threatened me to
sign it as being true. He added saying “they threatened me if I did not
sign it they would not leave me alone and whatever they did to me at that
point would be recorded that I will not be alive to tell the story of what
transpired between me and them that night.
“For fear and interest of my life, and unknown persons with mask on their
faces, I collected the written items and signed the document.
The Justice said he was whisked away at about 6 am to the office of the
DSS “without any Warrant of Arrest or reason for my arrest.
He said from the time of his arrival at the DSS office, he was informed 24
hours later that from the search conducted at his residence and their
discreet investigations, he was arrested based on the ” Petition of Hon.
Jenkins Davie dated 4th of April, 2016 to National Judicial Council,
Granting Bail to Col. Sambo Dasuki and the unconstitutional release of
Nnamdi Kanu, and using my Office to secure my Wife’s Appointment as the
Head of Civil Service Lagos State through Senator Bola Tinubu.
“After stating the grounds for the invasion as stated above they requested
for explanation of the money found in my apartment, as well as two
Licensed Firearms also found in my apartment….but they we unable to tell
me the exact amount recovered.
“I also explained that the appointment of my Wife as Head of Civil Service
was based on merit and Seniority. Justice Ademola narrated.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmoud
Mohammed and exclusively obtained by TheBrief, Justice Ademola said
contrary to media reports, he had at no time confessed to any crime when
he was interrogated by the officers of the DSS.
He also alleged the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami as
the brain behind his travails.
“What is more intriguing in this whole episode, is that I see it as a
vendetta/revenge from the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation,
Abubakar Malami (SAN) whilst I was in Kano between 2004-2008. As a Federal
High Court Judge, he was involved in a Professional Misconduct
necessitating his arrest and detention by my Order. However, with the
intervention of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Kano branch, the
allegation of misconduct was later withdrawn by me.
“Consequently, the National Judicial Council ( NJC) referred Abubakar
Malami (SAN) to the NBA Disciplinary Committee for disciplinary action. It
was as a result of this he was denied the Rank of SAN by the Legal
Practitioners Privileges Committee for period of four years until when he
produced a fake letter of apology, purportedly addressed to me. It was
then he was conferred with the Rank. Since the above incident, Abubakar
Malami (SAN) has threatened to revenge and swore to do anything to bring
me down”. Justice Ademola narrated in the letter.
The Federal High Court Judge appealed to the CJN to grant him leave so as
to enable him pursue justice on the infringement of his fundamental human
right “breached by the DSS”.
”My Lord, with this infringement of my fundamental right, I seek for the
leave to commence an action against the Department of Security Service to
enforce my right that was breached.”
TheBrief