Do not drag Buhari into judges' arrest says Presidency

The Presidency has advised journalists and other Nigerians to stop linking President Muhammadu Buhari to the legal travails of some recently arrested Judges in the country.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said President Muhammadu Buhari would be the last person to authorise anybody to induce a Judge to pervert the course of justice.

Malam Shehu recalled that, despite his personal familiarity with some court Judges, the President had never used that familiarity to seek favours from them from 2003, 2007 and 2011 when he was challenging the fairness of the presidential election results during the periods in question.

The Senior Special Assistant also explained that, as a politician, Buhari had never once ever suggested to his lawyers to approach any Judge for assistance to win his cases. He said the President lives by this principle and has never deviated from it.

On the fate of the Judges facing corruption allegations, the Presidential Media Aide said the President doesn't tell Courts how to do their jobs and that anybody accused of corruption is protected by law to defend their innocence.
He explained that the purpose of the law is to punish the guilty and acquit the innocent, noting that the law projects the rights everyone.

Shehu stressed that the President doesn't have any powers to force any court to convict anybody who is innocent, arguing that in a democratic society, that cannot happen without resistance by the people.

Nigerian judges out on bail after weekend arrests

Abuja - The Nigerian judges arrested at the weekend as part of a corruption probe have been released on bail, a source said on Monday, after the detention drew sharp rebuke from legal and rights groups.
"They were all released on bail yesterday (Sunday) on self-recognition," the source within the Department of State Services (DSS) told AFP.
"They did report for investigation this morning (Monday) and they have gone back home. And the investigation continues..." the source added.
"Everything went very procedurally well and civil."
At least seven judges were arrested at the weekend on allegations of receiving bribes, leading to an outcry from the bar association and rights groups who described the raids as "unprecedented".
The investigation involves a total of 15 judges.
 DSS said it had seized $800 000 in cash during the nation-wide operation which was prompted by allegations of corruption and professional misconduct made by other judges.
 On Monday, Chief Justice Mahmud Mohammed condemned the arrests as "deeply regrettable."
The DSS said the arrests followed "lack of co-operation by the National Judicial Council, such as refusal by the NJC to allow the affected persons to be questioned by the DSS."
The agency said its investigation started in April.
 The bar association has scheduled an emergency session on the issue on Tuesday.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, was voted into power last year on an anti-graft platform.
 But critics have claimed his corruption war is being used as a front to sideline political.
SOURCE:www.naijacop.com

Malami, who had on Monday, shunned a valedictory court session the Supreme Court 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).

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/breaking-arrest-judges-no-body-law-agf/