More than N100 million in cash was recovered in the Abuja official residence of a judge in the early hours of Saturday by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
A DSS official, who spoke with Freedom Online, declared that the Agency will soon make public its reasons for invading residences of some judges between Friday night and Saturday morning in Abuja and Port Harcourt.
There was an outcry across the land when news filtered in that the residences were invaded by gun-wielding operatives.
The official also disclosed that agents are already trailing the thugs allegedly used by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to prevent DSS officials from whisking away a judge in Port Harcourt.
DSS operatives, in a commando-style operation, surrounded the official residences of some justices for hours before they eventually broke in.
The DSS official said: “Many people do not know that we have been trailing these judges for weeks and when we stormed their houses, we presented search warrants. When we got to the residence of Justice …..(name withheld), he sent his security guard to tell us that he was not at home but, according to intelligence report, we knew he was in the house. That was why we forcefully entered the house.
“After searching the houses, he eventually came out and said he didn’t know we were security agents. We showed him the warrant and initially, he said it was not valid.
“But when he saw that we were determined to search his house, he said we should go ahead. We eventually found packs of money, neatly packed. We counted the money in his presence and a few of his domestic aides. More than N100 million was counted.
“When we asked him what he was doing with such an amount in the house and how he got it, he didn’t say a word. We eventually took him away around 4.35a.m.”
While disclosing that more official residences of judges will be raided soon, he disclosed that in Port Harcourt, Wike prevented operatives from whisking another judge away.
He wondered why the governor was interested in protecting the judge.
“Immediately our operatives got there, he (judge) must have called the governor on phone and before we knew what was happening, the governor came with thugs, and started harassing everybody, including DSS officials. Because a governor with immunity was involved, there was nothing our operatives could do about it. You know, they couldn’t touch him or push him around. Our director had to leave when the scene was becoming rowdy. But, one thing is clear. The governor stormed the place to prevent our operatives from searching the house and taking the judge away. And he did that with thugs. Our senior officials will speak on the matter later”.
In his reaction, Wike said he stormed the residence to stop impunity from security agents.
Wike, in a statement by his Special Assistant, Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, said: “Not under my watch wiĺl I allow this kind of impunity to take place. That is why we are here. I don’t know which judge they were detailed to abduct. I didn’t bother myself to know which judge. All I am interested in is that, at this level, it is not allowed.
“He is not a criminal and he is not an armed robber. If the person has committed an offence, invite him. It is only when he refuses to honour the invitation that you can adopt this commando style.
“The Commissioner of Police is here, the Director of DSS is here. Their operatives cocked their guns and threatened to shoot me. I have never seen that before. Again, this is to tell you what we are facing. We know that more will come. For us in this state, we shall continue to resist it.
“It doesn’t matter what it will cost. When you talk about liberty, sacrifices must be made. We are not trying to stop an arrest. All we are saying is that things must be done decently and in line with the rule of law.
