Justice Ibrahim Auta, the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, may well be neck deep in the corruption that led to last weekend’s arrest of some high court judges by the Department of State Security (DSS).
Investigators said Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja, in whose home over $550,000 was allegedly found during the raid, has confessed to a deal between him and Chief Judge Auta by which $300,000 of the physical cash found in his bedroom was to have been shared between the two men.
He said only $50,000 belonged to him in the deal, indicating that the CJ was awaiting his share when the DSS operatives swooped in on his residence and arrested him on Saturday night. It is unclear to whom the balance of $200,000 would have gone.
Asked if that had been the pattern of bribery for the CJ, he answered in the affirmative, saying that several High Court judges are assigned lucrative cases by the CJ, who then requests them to collect the bribes in dollars and transfer to him physically at home.
He revealed that the CJ has received monies from him several times after matching him with high profile cases that are then settled in favor of the highest bidders.
SaharaReporters learnt that CJ Auta was quizzed and then quietly released yesterday by the DSS, but the department has not officially confirmed either his arrest or interrogation.
Powerful interests are pushing back against the arrest of corrupt judges. SaharaReporters has however learnt that four, including Appellate Court judge Uwani Abba-Aji, are in line to be arrested. We also reliably learnt that Mrs. Abba-Aji was dropped from the list of judges to be elevated to the Supreme Court.
Justice Mohammed Yunusa, who was bribed by Ricky Tarfa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Munir Ladan, and Bashir Sukola, both of the Kaduna High Court, are also due for arrest and interrogation, unless DSS is somehow stopped from its ongoing action against corrupt judges.
saharareporters.
Hmmmmmn! Iyam speechless.
ReplyDeleteNawaoo
DeleteGbese
ReplyDeleteAm not suprise reading this at all
ReplyDeleteJehova!!! Stella wait oh.... so you mean this is what these people have been up to?
ReplyDeleteOf course arresting them is going to be very tough because the people who bribe with such monies aren't small nau. They are the high and mighty in the society.
I read somewhere that they asked them to come for questioning long ago, but they refused and were being shielded by the Judicial council. My fear (will I even call if fear?) is that the way things are going, lots of chief judges at both state and federal level will start getting probed. And we will be shocked at the revelations to come. Cos none of them have clean hands oh.... NONE!
Some of them have clean hands. This judge's are usually threatened. Its either they take d money or they are killed. It's sad Buhari thinks he's doing a good deed. The only seemingly sane tier of government is being torn down. It's sad. No sense of diplomacy whatsoever. If Nigerian's lose faith in the judiciary it spells doom as the common man will certainly take justice in their own hands. The increase of jungle justice will follow. Plus where will their cases be tried? I hope not Nigerian courts as the Judiciary is really together. Good luck to Buhari n pls say bye to your second term
Delete"cases are settled in favour of the highest bidders". Isn't it amazing! Little wonders the poor never get justice.
ReplyDeleteBut my fear is that all the quiz, interrogation and detention will not get to a logical conclusion just like saraki's case.
Exactly!
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DeleteStory for the gods. Giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
ReplyDeleteWow almost all judges in nja are corrupt then. DSS fire on, it's been long overdue.
ReplyDeleteMrsBee
This country is very very funny
ReplyDeletePlease there is nothing I say nothing new in this drama.its been the norm since 1900 in Nigeria and Yes we are used to it o unless you have never been involved in major legal issues in Nigeria.After the main case during the day you gotta drive to their homes and settle good or else ...My question is all this anti corruption thang presido is more focused on that putting food on the table of the poor so they DONT eat the rich ...How come no body has been sent to jail full time???
Mtcheeeeeewwww Ndio Mkpo
Nobody has been sentenced because of all these corrupt judges. Afterall it is their duty to sentence criminals not the duty of the president. These judges are the ones frustating the anti corruption war.
DeleteThank you? If cases are won by the highest bidder, how will anyone one EFCC takes to court end up in jail? This country corruption is not one man's fight but a fight for all citizens, Buhari can't do it alone..... We Nigerians need to wake up and fight for all not for one....
DeleteOK na. Since this Administration has nothing to offer, let's be consoling ourselves with all these imaginary cash being mentioned on daily basis.
ReplyDeleteOmg! If this is true then......
ReplyDeleteEnd time kwarupshun
ReplyDeleteNow where are those pple that applauded wike for preventing the arrest of a judge.we all knw dat dis corrupt judges cannot deposit money from their illicit deals in the bank.the only option left is to hide the money in thier homes or launder the money.i am so ashamed of the nigerian judicial system.
ReplyDeleteI support wicked action, why are the arrests carried out in commando style? When jibrin of Nass was singing like a. It's about what he and the leaders of the house had been doing with billions why didn't DSS raid dogara and co? Then these judges because they aren't playing ball with APC they are now victims of DSS.
DeleteAll these lies and propaganda from the pit of hell.. papa bubu, how low can you go?
ReplyDeleteHe has not even wasted anytime, oga bubu has started appointing judges that will take bribe to favor him.. anyways they're all just the same people, I can't support anyone of them
ReplyDeleteJesus Christ!!!
ReplyDeleteHmmmm,na waooooo. So what's our next step?
ReplyDeleteAll I know is that Nigeria has no hope because the people especially the so called downtrodden common man would always support these criminals by bringing in stupid technicalities and sentiment rather than demand to know the truth so as to punish the guilty and free the innocent.
ReplyDeleteWatch and see the comments people will be making to support this man up there
Thanks @ youngman. Said my mind. All the Eka (joy) fools.
DeleteOmo yanmirin.
It is very, very sad reading comments by some BVs here - mostly young people! Your future is being "raped", assaulted and bastardized and you are making frivolous insinuations. These are your funds (meant to provide infrastructure and basic needs in Nigeria) that are being used to bribe judges and circumvent justice. And some of you are making such senseless and stupid comments? Later you come here daily to cry for freebies (food, jobs and funds to acquire skills and start up businesses). Honestly, I am ashamed and disgusted at some comments here! CORRUPTION IS AT THE ROOT OF OUR PROBLEMS IN NIGERIA AND UNTIL RADICAL/UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS ARE ADOPTED TO DRASTICALLY MINIMISE IT (IMPOSSIBLE TO TOTALLY ELIMINATE IT), like in China, our generations yet unborn will not have a country to call their own. May Almighty God open your eyes and senses, if any, to see the realities and be redeemed from the poverty of good reasoning. I rest my case!
ReplyDeleteThey should also give names of those that brought the bribe cos I know for sure that it is our beloved politicians. Judiciary is in a phas. When this is gone, we will have clean water
ReplyDeleteYeah I second that
DeleteMrsBee
Well said anon 9:58. The youths are so divided along religion, tribe and political party that they refuse to see beyond those factors...
ReplyDeleteThis country sha....bribery and stealing with pen is synonymous with wealthy peopl....bet Y
ReplyDeleteWhat made the guy talk so soon? Is this story true? Employed to subvert justice, collecting salaries and bribe at the same time?
ReplyDeletelies lies lies, govt feeding Nigerians stories to make them angry and call for the heads of innocent people. Where are the judges that granted judgment in APCs favour? Why weren't they bundled out of their like ones the DSS acted homevideo with.
ReplyDeleteNigerians don't reason that is the problem,remember when jibrin that NASS guy was singing away like a bird about how him and the top dogs in National Assembly were sharing money? How come no arrest or investigation was made? The Jibrin guy himself said he himself stole 600 and something plus million naira yet no DSS harassed them why? After all National Assembly doesn't have immunity so why were they allowed to go about their business freely
ReplyDelete"All I know is that Nigeria has no hope because the people especially the so called downtrodden common man would always support these criminals by bringing in stupid technicalities and sentiment rather than demand to know the truth so as to punish the guilty and free the innocent.
ReplyDeleteWatch and see the comments people will be making to support this man up there"
@Youngman are you sure we ain't brothers like this? lol