The federal government Wednesday night okayed the corruption trial of seven senior judges the Department of State Security raided recently, and one of them will face an added charge of illegal possession of firearms.
The decision came after the National Judicial Council refused to suspend the judges caught with over N360 million in local and foreign currencies, claiming the executive is using the DSS to cow the judiciary.
The refusal, sources at the presidency said, is a slap on the executive, and that no country will allow a coterie of judicial officers to think they are above the law.
The DSS and EFCC have been investigating 15 judges alleged to have been collecting bribes across Nigeria. The remaining eight are yet to be named, though.
Those arrested, however, are making effort to save face.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola and Supreme Court Justice Inyang Okoro have fingered Justice Minister Abubakar Malami and Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi respectively those instigating the DSS against the bench.
But Okoro has been talking down the fact that $38,000 and N3 million was found in his home was his.
Adeniyi and Nnamdi Dimgba also cited certain court verdicts they gave way back potted them against Malami who was a lawyer and defendant then.
According to sources, the trial of the suspects would be carried out in phases and handled by the National Prosecution Council, which was recently inaugurated