Justice Adeniyi Ademola, one of the senior Judges arrested by officers of
\nthe Department of State Security Services (DSS) last weekend has drawn a
\nbattle line with the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami
\nand the DSS over his \u201cunlawful\u201d arrest and the justapo attack on his
\nresidence by officers of the Service. TheBrief exclusively reports.<\/p>\n
The arrest of several Judges nationwide has sparked wild controversies in
\nthe country. The judges have been accused of involving in monumental
\nfrauds and that large sums of money, denominated in naira and other
\nforeign currencies were found in their homes during the raid.<\/p>\n
Supreme Court judges, Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta were arrested in
\nAbuja. Federal High Court judges, Adeniyi Ademola and Mohammed Tsamiya
\nwere also arrested in Abuja.<\/p>\n
Others arrested included, Kabir Auta, Kano; Muazu Pindiga, Gombe; and
\nInnocent Umezulike in Enugu.<\/p>\n
The judges were released after initial plans to arraigned them stalled for
\nreasons not disclosed by the DSS.<\/p>\n
Reacting to this development, one of the affected Judges, Justice Adeniyi
\nAdemola of Federal High Court Abuja narrated his \u2018ordeals\u2019 in the hands of
\nDSS Operatives.<\/p>\n
Justice Ademola explained that when his residence at No, 30 Ogbemudia
\nCrescent, Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja was raided on 07\/10\/2016, about
\n45 Masked Officers of the DSS came for the sting operation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw at about 45 Masked Officers of the Department of Security Services
\n( DSS), all heavily armed pointing their guns at me. They flashed a
\ndocument purported to be a Search Warrant and Ordered me to sign on a
\ndocument claiming that that they had already conducted a search down
\nstairs. They also added that I was totally under their control today as I
\nhave always made order against them (the DSS).<\/p>\n
Justice Ademola explained further that after the search, which lasted for
\nabout (6) six hours, he was handed a document \u201cpurported to be an
\nInventory of the Items found upon their search and they threatened me to
\nsign it as being true. He added saying \u201cthey threatened me if I did not
\nsign it they would not leave me alone and whatever they did to me at that
\npoint would be recorded that I will not be alive to tell the story of what
\ntranspired between me and them that night.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor fear and interest of my life, and unknown persons with mask on their
\nfaces, I collected the written items and signed the document.<\/p>\n
The Justice said he was whisked away at about 6 am to the office of the
\nDSS \u201cwithout any Warrant of Arrest or reason for my arrest.<\/p>\n
He said from the time of his arrival at the DSS office, he was informed 24
\nhours later that from the search conducted at his residence and their
\ndiscreet investigations, he was arrested based on the \u201d Petition of Hon.
\nJenkins Davie dated 4th of April, 2016 to National Judicial Council,
\nGranting Bail to Col. Sambo Dasuki and the unconstitutional release of
\nNnamdi Kanu, and using my Office to secure my Wife\u2019s Appointment as the
\nHead of Civil Service Lagos State through Senator Bola Tinubu.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter stating the grounds for the invasion as stated above they requested
\nfor explanation of the money found in my apartment, as well as two
\nLicensed Firearms also found in my apartment\u2026.but they we unable to tell
\nme the exact amount recovered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also explained that the appointment of my Wife as Head of Civil Service
\nwas based on merit and Seniority. Justice Ademola narrated.<\/p>\n
In a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmoud
\nMohammed and exclusively obtained by TheBrief, Justice Ademola said
\ncontrary to media reports, he had at no time confessed to any crime when
\nhe was interrogated by the officers of the DSS.<\/p>\n
He also alleged the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami as
\nthe brain behind his travails.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is more intriguing in this whole episode, is that I see it as a
\nvendetta\/revenge from the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation,
\nAbubakar Malami (SAN) whilst I was in Kano between 2004-2008. As a Federal
\nHigh Court Judge, he was involved in a Professional Misconduct
\nnecessitating his arrest and detention by my Order. However, with the
\nintervention of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Kano branch, the
\nallegation of misconduct was later withdrawn by me.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsequently, the National Judicial Council ( NJC) referred Abubakar
\nMalami (SAN) to the NBA Disciplinary Committee for disciplinary action. It
\nwas as a result of this he was denied the Rank of SAN by the Legal
\nPractitioners Privileges Committee for period of four years until when he
\nproduced a fake letter of apology, purportedly addressed to me. It was
\nthen he was conferred with the Rank. Since the above incident, Abubakar
\nMalami (SAN) has threatened to revenge and swore to do anything to bring
\nme down\u201d. Justice Ademola narrated in the letter.<\/p>\n
The Federal High Court Judge appealed to the CJN to grant him leave so as
\nto enable him pursue justice on the infringement of his fundamental human
\nright \u201cbreached by the DSS\u201d.
\n\u200e
\n\u201dMy Lord, with this infringement of my fundamental right, I seek for the
\nleave to commence an action against the Department of Security Service to
\nenforce my right that was breached.\u201d
\nTheBrief<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n