Court workers in Nigeria, under the aegis of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has demanded immediate release of Judges taken into custody early Saturday morning after a raid on their residences by operatives of Department of State Services, DSS overnight in different parts of the country.
The Union, in a statement released on Sunday described the manner of arrest of the Judges over allegations of corruption by the security operatives as brutal and uncivilized; warning that rule of law must be followed in government’s fight against graft.
JUSUN said it has summoned an emergency meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) for Tuesday 11, October 2016 to deliberate on the issue with a view to fashioning out the next line of action, if nothing is done to uphold the sanctity of the Judiciary as an arm of government.
In the statement, the National Public Relations Officer of JUSUN, Comrade Koin Selepreye quoted the Union President as lamenting the gestapo style adopted by the DSS in dealing with the matter.
The Union said the correct approach would have been for DSS to forward the names of Judges or any corrupt judicial officer to the National Judiciary Commission, NJC which is the statutory body which can punish or dismiss any erring judicial officer.
It however appeals to its member over the “invasion of the Judiciary.”
“It is sad that as a Security Agency whose primary duty includes intelligent gathering and the protection of Senior Government official would now perform their duties in a gestapo style
“The National Office of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) rejects this unfortunate trend. To think that an Agency like the DSS that is expected to respect the rule of law and due process would now under whatever guise not do the right thing.
“In as much as we do not support corruption, we frown at the manner with which the DSS is going about its duty as it is very vindictive and unacceptable to us. We therefore urge the DSS and all Security Agencies to respect the Rule of Law for democracy to strive stronger in Nigeria,” said JUSUN.