Arrest Of Judges: NDYC Condemns DSS’ Style

A non-governmental
organisation, the Niger Delta Youth Coalition (NDYC) has condemned the manner in which the Department of State Security went about the arrest of alleged erring Judges in the country, and called on the security outfit to release the judges arrested in what the body termed commando-style.
NDYC National Co-ordinator, Prince Emmanuel Ogba, stated that though the body was in support of ensuring that erring judges face the law of the land, it did not support the shameful display by the DSS and Nigeria Police in arresting the judges.
“From what we gathered, the DSS raid was a nation-wide action, including the one in Rivers State. We are bold to say that a situation where DSS and other security agencies involved, chose to arrest judges, some of whom are women, by 1:00am is cowardice.
“We had expected that the judges concerned be invited in decent manner to DSS offices for necessary processes as demanded by the law, instead of waiting till 1:am. That is shameful, cowardice and unacceptable.
“We appeal to DSS to release those judges arrested under such illegal manner, and begin afresh to constitutionally prosecute them”, he said.
Ogba used the opportunity to advise the security agencies in the country to refrain from using maximum force, which was unnecessary, to cause alleged suspects to come to their offices, adding that a situation where suspects were beaten up, hand cuffed, even when they were willing to present themselves to prosecutors gave the impression that they were guilty before going to court.
He appealed to the law enforcement agencies to stop taking the laws into their hands in the course of exercising their official duties.
By virtue of their official positions, the law enforcement agencies are expected to be exemplary in observing the law and not taking laws into their hands”, he said.

Chris Oluoh