The Nigerian Bar Association on Saturday declared a state of emergency in the judiciary following the midnight arrest of some judges by the Department of State Services.

The declaration of the state of emergency was made on Saturday evening in Lagos by the NBA President, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN).

Mahmoud addressed the press alongside four past presidents of the association – Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); Mr. J.B. Daudu (SAN) and Augustine Alegeh (SAN).



Others in attendance at the declaration, which held at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, were Prof. Kayinsola Ajayi (SAN), Mr. Yusuf Ali (SAN), Mr. Dele Adesina (SAN), among others.

[b]Mahmoud said two Supreme Court justices, Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta were “abducted”, with their families, adding that he had yet to have the full detail of other judges who could have been involved.

Mahmoud said the NBA condemned what it termed the Gestapo-style operation of the DSS.
He announced the constitution of an emergency or crisis management team, comprising past NBA presidents to engage with the government.

Mahmoud, who said it was not the responsibility of the DSS to arrest judges, described the DSS action as an unconstitutional means of intimidating the judiciary and undermining its independence.

The NBA President called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the immediate release of the arrested judges, vowing that there would be consequences should the demand be ignored.

Mahmoud said, “I want to emphasise again that we are not under military rule and we cannot accept this unholy event and Gestapo-style operation.

“We, therefore, call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately caution all the  state security agencies and to respect the rule of law and to respect due process.

“Any issues affecting the judicial officers, there are established procedures for handling them and we demand that this constitutional process must be obeyed.

“Given the unfolding nature of the event and the seriousness of the situation, the NBA hereby declares a state of emergency as it affects the affairs of the judiciary and I hereby constitute a crisis management team, comprising all past presidents of the association.

“I want to, on behalf of the association, make the very following clear and unequivocal demands: we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all the judges abducted from about 9pm yesterday (Friday).

“The release must be done immediately and without any conditions. Two, we demand that the Department of State Services should limit itself to its statutory and constitutional responsibilities.

“I’ll be meeting with the CJN later tonight or tomorrow. There will be consequences should these demands are not met.”[/b]
http://punchng.com/judges-arrest-nba-declares-state-emergency/

Let's see how far the dictator goes with this. He'll certainly bite more than he can chew. Nigeria survived Abacha, we can certainly survive this. Next time people would be wiser when voting.
For the first time since the end of military rule, I am actually afraid of a Nigerian govt.

Goodmorning Nigeria, A dictator is born...

You never know what you have until you loose it.. Jonathan didn't try a quarter of what the dictator from Daura is doing today. He was bashed left, right and centre but he remained unprovoked.

God bless you Jonathan, you're a fine gentleman.

F.G should thread softly, I think there is disciplinary panel in the judiciary which is equivalent to an high court?

lanreni:

what is this one saying? even the disciplinary panel members are involved. its the same thing happening in d asembly. they will never dismiss their own except he has become a saint suddenly like d case of jibrin.

Alagba! A cases from the NJC can still proceed to Supreme Court. If you feel justice isn't done, then is either you over hull the judicary system itself or you sponsor a bill t the NASS.


Law depends on the intepretation that is why the phrase 'Get a good lawyer' is common.

After listening to DSS's side of the story, I saw the moral gap of expectation in the conduct of those arrested but that alone may not stand the test of legal standards. FG (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) must no doubt over hull the standards in Judiciary but it must be user friendly.

Paddy, let me ask you this simple question,'what is the Nigerian defination od Corruption'?

Well it is not too late,
NBA should have reacted when FG started choosing which court order
to obey and when government critics are being arrested with impunity.

Why should government take somebody to court and then refuse to obey the ruling of the same court wasting tax payers money.

This action by the NBA is late though a good one and I suggest they embark on strike till government obeys all court rulings.

All this government does is attack,attack and attack but it could be counter attacked and I don't think it has a watertight defense to survive the onslaught.

T

The Commando

We watch as tins unfold.

This country men!! Jonathan was corrupt, allowing corruption to fester. Buhari came and started fighting corruption and the same people are against the fight against corruption siting laid down procedure by Liars.

Can this country ever be fixed??

Okay

datola:
This country men!! Jonathan was corrupt, allowing corruption to fester. Buhari came and started fighting corruption and the same people are against the fight against corruption siting laid down procedure by Liars.

Can this country ever be fixed??

So intimidating Court judges is now how to fight corruption?

Hmmm, u see only God can salvage dis country, I sometimes wonder if dis country can ever achieve her greatness wit these set of crooks, corrupt pple everywhere and even d youths are not helping matters. My happiness is dat someday we shall all remember PMB for taking giant step in dealing with our corrupt Judges which even d Military/Obj cudn't do. History will remember dis day dat PMB tried his best in exposing those dat have kept dis country in dis darkness, backwardness and HUNGER but Nigerians cos of religion/ethnicity refuse to support him.
Pls PMB shud release those corrupt Judges and Pls those corrupt Judges shud also free Dansuki n Co. No be suffer, we never see anything.
Lubbish as my igbo pple will say.

let d royal rumble begin!

All of us (Wailers and Zombies) should be worried about the recent recklessness and lack of respect for the rule of law on part of he executive. We should not allow sentiments to becloud our sense of reasoning. The Judiciary is an independent arm of government and the last hope of the common man. Granted some few judges may be corrupted but the constitution has provided ways of treating cases of corrupted judges. The executive should have reported such judges to National Judicial Committee. The judges can then be prosecuted by the police if they are found guilty of criminal acts by NJC.
If we allow the Executive to muzzled the Judiciary, the president may become a dictator who can do any thing and get away with it. Our collective freedom may be taken....This is how Mugabe started by disregarding the rule of law in his dealings with white farmers, judges and political opponents in the name of fighting corruption. Zimbabweans were praising him then, till he became a monster that has been ruling in Zimbabwe for decades.....Zimbabweans are suffering but all institutions that can checkmate their president has been destroyed.

"wen govt fear d pipul, den d govt is a democratic govt. but wen pipul fear d govt, den d govt is authocratic dictatorship'' - wise man.

"rule by fear is one of d characteristics of a tyrranical govt" - drss.

Good Move NBA. I thought you guys were going to keep quiet and be intimated by the tyrannical autocracy of Buhari.

NBA should go on strike, lawyers and judges should avoid the courts, show Buhari that where there is no law, there is no crime. If he thinks he can flout and intimidate the democracy we earned as a people, then we have to prove to him that we won't retreat.

This devil-may-care system of governance has to stop. Waiting on the legislators to follow up on this.

We don't. Want meeting...the judiciary should be shut down with immediate effect..and the A.G sanctioned.

Buhari must be shaped into line..and. Thought democratic principles

Later, PMB will act as though he knows nothing about the actions of the DSS or SSS or whatever they call them. But I'm damn sure if these security teams can treat the citizens like animals as though they are animals themselves, then definitely, the commander in chief is in control. ( I stand to be corrected)

datola:
This country men!! Jonathan was corrupt, allowing corruption to fester. Buhari came and started fighting corruption and the same people are against the fight against corruption siting laid down procedure by Liars.Can this country ever be fixed??

If not because you are hiding behind internet to write this trash, i which you are talking face-to- face i would have landed you a dirty slap that you would never forget in your life if you survive it. Blind follower.

National Assembly should do the needful now. Or else he is coming for all of you. Very barbaric government taking Nigeria back to stone ages. Nigeria court is ruling against you and even international court is ruling against you only media of propagandist is working for you, yet you are forming ultimate worior

Mahmoud said two Supreme Court justices, Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta were “abducted”, with their families, adding that he had yet to have the full detail of other judges who could have been involved.



Buhari has gone mad

Mahmoud, who said it was not the responsibility of the DSS to arrest judges, described the DSS action as an unconstitutional means of intimidating the judiciary and undermining its independence.


Buhari and his uncle Mamman Daura are disgrace to Democracy

It's only the Yoruba's that put us in this mess has the power to free us from it..

I don't want to sound reasonable anymore..

Yorubas should do the needfull about the criminal they jointly voted as president...

Mchweew. It's as if this people don't want us to fight corruption.

If we don't kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. Only the corrupt should worry. After all, no body came to the houses of the group SAN who issued this press release.

Cc lalasticlala

NBA is right on this one. Brothers should protect each other's interest. The NBA and the Body of Benchers (Judges) are brothers in crime, so they should cover each other's back. Some so called senior lawyers are in court because they gave bribes to some senior rogue judges. We shall not tolerate corruption in the judiciary. One corrupt lawyer has advised fellow corrupt lawyers to boycott the courts. That will be very interesting, I hope the judges too will go on strike. When the courts and the lawyers go on strike, then the DSS and the EFCC will arrest more corrupt lawyers and judges and they will all be at Kuje Prisons without trial for a very long time. Thieves supporting fellow thieves.

no need for NBA to panick. let dem just revive buari's certificate trial n d dullard will back down.
isnt it funy dat d dullard who hired 15 judges to defend him against his certificatelessness is now attacking judges for alleged corruption there's noting worse dan lying in affidavit.

datola:
This country men!! Jonathan was corrupt, allowing corruption to fester. Buhari came and started fighting corruption and the same people are against the fight against corruption siting laid down procedure by Liars.

Can this country ever be fixed??

We need a President with absolute powers that will introduce death penalty for corruption as done in China and elsewhere. I voted Buhari 99% to fight corruption and I'm angry there's no firing squad for the wicked looters.

I need 8D lens for this episode. It's getting interesting

Abagworo:


We need a President with absolute powers that will introduce death penalty for corruption as done in China and elsewhere. I voted Buhari 99% to fight corruption and I'm angry there's no firing squad for the wicked looters.

No country in today's world will ever wish for a president with absolute powers!

So if they ask you, Buhari has not stolen or touched stolen funds before, even in his election adventures....
Haba bros, fear God nau