Protest rocks Supreme Court

Protesters under the aegis of The Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations In Nigeria (FNGOI) Wednesday marched on the nation’s Supreme Court in Abuja, urging the National Judicial Council to prevail upon all seven members of the bench accused of corruption to step down immediately.

The placard-carrying protesters stormed the court as early as 8a.m. They demanded that all judges arrested by the Department of State Security (DSS) in connection with corruption issues step down pending the outcome of the trial.

The group also said that it wanted to make it clear that only those judges that have been accused of unethical conduct, and not the entire judicial arm of the government, is on trial.

The group accused the apex judicial body of trying to incite the masses against the government with the impression that the independence of the judiciary is under threat.

Their placards read messages such as, “Stop Corruption Before It Stops You”; “No Untouchable Judges and Justices”; “Sanitization of Judiciary Is Task That Must Be Done”; “Judges Under Investigation Must Step Down”.

Nigeria’s Department of State Security recently arrested seven judges for corruption and professional misconduct in different parts of the country.  Outrage about the way the arrests were conducted was expressed in certain quarters, with some calling them an affront to the judiciary.