Nigeria's security agency has seized $800 .000 in cash found
during raids targeting senior judges in corruption investigations, the
Department of State Services (DSS) said on Saturday.
It carried out the operations on the judges' premises in the
last few days, it said in a statement, without specifying the premises or how
many judges had been targeted. It said the judges were from the supreme, appeal
and high courts.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) later issued a statement
accusing the security agency of a "Gestapo-style operation" and
demanded the release of judges arrested in the investigation. "The release
must be done immediately and without any conditions," it said.
The NBA did not say how many judges had been arrested.
President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, won an election last year
largely fought on his vow to crack down on corruption.
Since taking office he has said he will recover"
mind-boggling" sums of money stolen from public coffers.
But the president's critics have accused him of mounting a
witch-hunt against political opponents. The DSS said its raids were carried out
to investigate allegations of corruption against the judges.
"We have been monitoring the expensive and luxurious
lifestyle of some of the judges as well as complaints from the concerned public
over judgment obtained fraudulently and on the basis (of) amounts of money
paid," it said in statement.
The security agency said it had discovered "cash of
various denominations, local and foreign currencies, with real estate worth
several millions of naira and documents affirming unholyacts by these
judges". The DSS said preparations were being made to bring criminal
charges.
The Nigerian Bar Association urged Buhari to
"immediately caution all the state security agencies and to respect the
rule of law".
-sabcnews
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