Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, on Saturday rejected the call on the National Judicial Council by the Nigerian Bar Association to suspend judges who were recently arrested by the Department of State Services over corruption allegations.
The CJN said the demand by the NBA was unnecessary and hasty in view of the fact the DSS had yet to complete its investigation of the arrested judges.
This came barely 24 hours after the NJC, which the CJN also heads as its chairman, pushed back the call by the NBA
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A statement by a Special Assistant to the CJN, H. S. Sa’eed, conveying the position of the head of the Nigerian judiciary, came on the day the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria met in Lagos and reportedly backed the call by the NBA for the suspension of the arrested judges.
Four out of the seven judges arrested by the DSS between October 7 and 8 are still in active service while the rest of the three had earlier been recommended for either compulsory retirement or dismissal by the NJC.
Details later.
PUNCH
