A week ago, agents of the Department of State Security (DSS)
embarked on an unprecedented raid of homes of numerous judges, arresting
several of them, including two Supreme Court justices directly linked with
alleged electoral judgment fraud in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
The judges named in a confidential list sent to President
Muhammadu Buhari include Justices Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta and John Inyang
Okoro of the Supreme Court, Justice Muhammad
Ladan Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Uwani
Abba-Aji of the Court of Appeal, Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal
High Court, Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal high Court, Justice
Kabir Auta of the Kano State High Court, Justice Munir Ladan of the Kaduna
State High Court, Justice Bashir Sukola of the Kaduna State High
Court, and Justice Mu'azu Pindiga of Gombe State High Court.
Other high profile judges named in the confidential memo include Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, the current President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ibrahim Auta, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba and Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court.
The memo accused Justice Chikere of receiving cash for a
pre-election matter that came before her. Justice Chikere is married
to Kenneth Anayo Chikere, a chieftain the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) in Rivers State and a former member of the House of Representatives.
According to the source of the memo, Mr. Chikere acted as go-between to funnel
significant amounts of cash to his wife who then proceeded to give favorable
judgments to those who offered the cash.
The memo alleged that Justice Kabiru Auta collected bribes from
a businessman named “Alhaji Kabiru SKY.” The bribe scandal led the National
Judicial Council (NJC) to suspend the judge, but the council later recalled the
judge, claiming there was not sufficient evidence that he auctioned verdicts
from the bench.
Justice Abdul Kafarati has a litany of corruption allegations
against him, even though he is due to become the new Chief Judge of the Federal
High Court. Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) allegedly found more than N2 billion in the judge’s bank account. The
judge reportedly claimed he had earned the funds from his farming business in
Yobe State. Recently, Justice Kafarati granted a N26 billion verdict in favor
of Capital Oil CEO, Ifeanyi Uba, against the Asset Management Corporation
of Nigeria (AMCON). Mr. Uba was the biggest debtor to AMCON. The memo
stated that Justice Kafarati has a favorite lawyer, Prince Ajibola Oluyede, who
funnels bribes to him to grant illegal orders and pay-to-play judgments.
Justice Yunusa also faces several allegations of
corruption. The memo cited evidence that he took N5 million bribe from a senior
lawyer, Rickey Tarfa. Justice Yunusa is also accused of disregarding case
precedents set by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Justice Pindiga of the Gombe State High Court was thrust into
national prominence on account of his involvement in the Rivers State election
petition fraud. He reportedly received N100 million from Governor Nyeson Wike
of Rivers State to influence a tribunal ruling in the governor’s favor. The
judge was subsequently removed as the head of the tribunal, but he reportedly
bought several cars and built houses from the proceeds of his alleged
corruption.
Justices Munir Ladan and Bashir Suokla of the Kaduna High Court
were recommended for arrest and prosecution based on several petitions alleging
that they receive bribes in exchange for verdicts. Some lawyers reportedly
characterized the two judges as “cash-and-carry” judges.
Some of the most extensive allegations in the memo pertain to
Justice Adeniyi Ademola. In one instance, the judge allegedly accepted a $200k
bribe to discharge a garnishee order against the Delta State House of Assembly.
He was also accused of using his position as a judge to get his wife appointed
to the position of Head of Service in Lagos State because of shady dealings
with Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In
2010, the Cross Rivers State command of the DSS determined that Justice Ademola
had accepted a bribe from some members of the “Peace Corps of Nigeria” and
oil bunkerers under prosecution.
Justice Ademola was arrested last weekend and allegedly found to
be in possession of $550k, part of which he reportedly claimed belonged to
Justice Auta, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. Justice Ademola was
also allegedly found with two unlicensed Pump Action Rifles in his Abuja home.
The judge has asserted that his ordeal was because he once tried
current Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for
professional misconduct when he was a judge in Kaduna. He has accused Mr.
Malami of being behind his harassment, adding that the raid on his residence was
a part of a retaliation plot by the AGF. The judge did not, however, deny the
fact that he was found with huge cash at home.
Justice Ibrahim Auta of the Federal High Court faces several
allegations of misconduct, according to the memo obtained by SaharaReporters.
The accusations against him include accepting bribes in order to assign
"lucrative" cases to certain corruption judges who give him
kickbacks. Numerous real estate assets have been traced to him. In addition,
law enforcement agents allege that he once accepted N500,000 from Mr. Rickey
Tarfa.
Justice Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal is accused of demanding
N200 million from an interested party in a case before his court. He was
arrested last week after the NJC determined that he was guilty of demanding for
bribes.
Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, president of the Court of Appeal, is
named in the memo where she is described as incurably corrupt and stupendously
wealthy. Even though agents found that Justice Bulkachuwa abstained from taking
bribes in the Rivers State election case, she is accused of engaging in bribery
and taking kickbacks from judges to which she assigned "lucrative"
cases.
Justice Abba Aji reportedly received N8 million from Mr. Tarfa.
SaharaReporters learned that she was dropped from the list of judges
recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court on account of her implication in
the Tarfa bribe scandal.
In addition, Justice Bulkachuwa is alleged to have taken bribes
from former Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and
Governor Patrick Okowa of Delta State in order to facilitate
favorable judgment in election petitions.
The two justices of the Supreme Court, Ngwuta and Okoro,
allegedly received significant bribes from Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers
State. Security agents allege that Mr. Wike gave the two judges N5 billion to
ensure that other Supreme Court justices ruled in the governor's favor in a
final election petition at the Supreme Court.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Justice Mary Odili of
the Supreme Court played a role in the Wike case. Justice Odili reportedly wept
in front of her colleagues, claiming that her husband, former Governor Peter
Odili of Rivers State, would die prematurely if Mr. Wike's election was not
upheld. Justice Odili reportedly coordinated the bribe scheme with Justice
Ngwuta, who allegedly took delivery of some of the bribe in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE). Justice Walter Onnoghen, the nominee for the post of Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court, is alleged to have taken part in the Wike bribe
scandal. However, security agents decided not to go after him, telling
President Buhari that the backlash would be intense if Justicd Onnoghen, a
southerner, were bypassed for CJN in favor of a northerner.
Justices Ngwuta and Okoro were also named in the case of Akwa
Ibom where the governor is alleged to have disbursed a huge amount of money to
bribe Supreme Court justices to secure a favorable ruling. A senior lawyer,
Damian Dodo (SAN) reportedly facilitated the deal using a female in
his chambers whose name was given as "Kauma". The Akwa Ibom
governor paid the highest bribe to the Supreme Court justices.
Both justices were among judges arrested last week in late night
raids carried out by the DSS. Security agents claimed that Justices Ngwuta and
Okoro were found with stashes of foreign currency at their homes. Both justices
have since been released.
Other judges mentioned in the memo include Justices I. A.
Umezulike, who two weeks ago was retired by the NJC, Ibrahim Buba, Rita
Ajumogobia and an unnamed judge of the Lagos State High Court.
saharareporters
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