No money found in judge’s residence, DSS lied – Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has criticized the statement released by the Department of State Services detailing how operatives found a huge amount of money during nationwide raids on homes of judges.

Wike said the report was concocted to justify an unconstitutional assault on the nation’s judiciary.

Governor Wike said this when he met with the management and players of Rivers United Football Club at Government House, Port-Harcourt.

He said the National Judicial Council had the responsibility to discipline erring and corrupt judges, after which indicted judicial officers were handed over to the relevant law enforcement agency for prosecution

The governor stated that he prevented the DSS from arresting the judge because they could kill him and use that as a pretext to say the state was not safe and to prepare grounds for declaration of a state of emergency.

According to him, “Their blackmail stories will not move me. They will concoct all kinds of stories to justify this undemocratic illegality perpetrated against the judiciary.

“It is really unfortunate that DSS would concoct a false defence that $2million USD , (that is N900million) was found in the house of the judge. It is unfortunate that the DSS is coming up with flimsy excuses.

“In the police, erring and corrupt policemen are first given orderly room trial, sacked and then appropriately prosecuted. For judicial officers, the DSS has no role.

“This impunity must stop. I am not in support of any judicial officer being involved in corruption.

“If they had abducted the judge, they may go ahead to kill the judge and they will say that Rivers State is insecure.

“We must resist this injustice. Nobody can intimidate Rivers people. If you use to do that, not now. I am informing you before you will read whatever lies they wiĺl circulate in newspapers.”