The Department of State Services on Saturday said it raided the residences of some Supreme, Appeal and High courts judges in Abuja and in some states due to allegations of corruption against the judges.

Abdullahi Garba, an official of the Service who spoke to journalists in Abuja, said huge sums of money in the raids carried out in Gombe, Port Harcourt, Kano, Sokoto and Enugu.

“These operations were based on allegations of corruptions and other acts of professional misconduct by a few of the suspected Judges,” said Garba.

He said the DSS had not violated any law, saying that the raids were in “line with its core mandate.”

“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 amounts of money paid.

“The judges involved were invited, upon which due diligence was exhibited and their premises searched. The searches have uncovered huge raw cash of various denominations, local and foreign currencies, with real estate worth several millions of Naira and documents affirming unholy acts by these Judges. ”

Garba alleged that the affected judges were placed under surveillance after they were accused of corruption. He said a large sum of money in local foreign currencies was recovered at from three judges whose houses were raided.

According to him, a total of N93.6m, £25, 970, €5,680 and $530,087 were recovered. Garba said the operatives also recovered banking and real estate documents.

Garba said some of the judges have them have made useful statements “while a few have declined even with the glaring evidences that were found against them in terms of material cash, documents and property recovered pointing to their compromise.”

He insisted that the operation will be sustained and “followed till sanity and sanctity is restored to the esteemed third arm of government and public confidence is regained.”

There are indications that the DSS will arraign some of the judges it arrested during the raids.

“Preparations are ongoing to arraign them in a competent court of jurisdiction in line with the laws of the nation,” Garba said.

•Pieced together from two separate Guardian stories. Photo shows DSS Acting DG Lawal Daura.

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