TheCable

The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to order the release of the judges arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) or there will be consequences.

The DSS had raided the homes of some judges across the country on allegations of corruption.

Speaking with journalists on Saturday, Abubakar Mahmoud, president of the NBA, declared a state of emergency, saying: “I hereby constitute a crisis management team comprising all past presidents of the association.

“I want to emphasise again that we are not under military rule and we cannot accept this unholy event and Gestapo-style operation.

“We, therefore, call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately caution all the state security agencies and to respect the rule of law and to respect due process.

“Any issues affecting the judicial officers, there are established procedures for handling them and we demand that this constitutional process must be obeyed.

“I want to, on behalf of the association, make the very following clear and unequivocal demands: we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all the judges abducted from about 9pm yesterday (Friday).

“The release must be done immediately and without any conditions. Two, we demand that the Department of State Services should limit itself to its statutory and constitutional responsibilities.

“I’ll be meeting with the CJN later tonight or tomorrow. There will be consequences should these demands are not met.”