FILE: Three times the FBI arrested ‘corrupt’ judges in US — just like the DSS

Just like the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested some judges for alleged corruption last Friday, a cursory check of possible instances shows that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – the closest thing to Nigeria’s DSS – has a history of acting in like manner on judges.

The DSS raided the homes of some judges across country, claiming it recovered huge wads from them. The secret police arrested some of them.

Some of the judges the DSS arrested are Adeniyi Ademola and Nnamdi Dimgba (federal high court), and Slyvester Ngwuta and John Okoro (supreme court).

Ademola is the judge handling the trial of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), who is being prosecuted by the DSS for alleged illegal possession of firearms and money laundering.

The judge has been critical of the DSS owing its refusal to release Dasuki after he had granted him bail.

Dimgba has also criticised the DSS for its high-handedness.

The DSS claims it is on a mission to sanitise the judiciary.

A debate now rages over the propriety of their action.

But here are three instances from the world’s “greatest democracy”.

JANUARY 2013

On January 31, 2013, the FBI arrested nine judges for “conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, perjury, making false statements to the FBI, and aiding and abetting”.

One of the judges, Willie Singletary, was seen in a video meeting with a motorcycle club called the Philadelphia First State Road Rattlers, saying: “There’s going to be a basket going around because I’m running for Traffic Court judge, right, and I need some money. I got some stuff that I got to do, but if you all can give me $20 you’re going to need me in Traffic Court. Am I right about that? … Now you all want me to get there, you’re all going to need my hook-up, right?”

Some of the accused judges — who were on the bench between 2008 and 2011 — are William Hird and Michael Sullivan.

They faced hundreds of years in prison.

NOVEMBER 2015

On November 4, 2015, the agency arrested a superior North Carolina court judge for bribery and corruption.

The judge,  Arnold Jones II allegedly attempted to bribe an FBI agent for information on what he described as a “family matter.” He faced about 37 years in jail.

Prosecutors said he approached the unidentified FBI officer in October 2015, and the two subsequently met in Goldsboro to exchange $100 for a disk supposedly containing the text messages.

Jones initially offered to give the officer “a couple cases of beer” for his help but later agreed to $100 in cash.

MAY 2014

Also, on May 30, 2014, it arrested a superior Puerto Rico court judge for bribery.

Manuel Acevedo Hernandez, the judge, was accused of accepting bribes to pervert the cause of justice in a fatal drunk-driving case. He was detained at his home after the FBI concluded its investigation.

The 62-year-old was detained at his home in the northwestern coastal town of Aguadilla.

The indictment also charges that the judge agreed to acquit Lutgardo Acevedo Lopez, a certified public accountant, in exchange for help in being promoted to appellate judge and to find employment for two of relatives.

“In my 35 years of experience, I’ve never seen anything like this,” US Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said at the time.

The judge pleaded not guilty and received a $50,000 bail.

Human rights lawyer Slams Nigeria Bar Association, Says It Is Embarrassing To Shield Corrupt Judges

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Sunday, criticised the Nigerian Bar Association for shielding corrupt judges despite having information about their activities.

He described the failure of NBA to deal with corrupt officials in the judiciary as an embarrassment to the “incorruptible members of the bar,” adding that it was responsible for the current state of the country’s judiciary.

He said this while reacting to the raid on the homes of some judges and the arrest of four of them by the Department of State Services between Friday and Saturday.

The operatives of the DSS had raided the official quarters of judges at Abuja, Gombe, Kano and Port Harcourt and ended up arresting at least four judicial officers.

The arrested judicial officers comprised two Justices of the Supreme Court – Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro – as well as Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court and another judge of the Gombe State High Court, Justice Mu’azu Pindiga.

In a statement issued at the end of the raid, the DSS alleged that the suspects had engaged in judicial misconduct and corrupt practices, adding that a huge amount of money was recovered from three of the judges.

In response to the raid, the NBA had declared a state of emergency and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the judges.

Falana, however, criticised the NBA, saying, “In particular, the Nigerian Bar Association which has information on all corrupt judges and lawyers in the country has continued to shield them to the embarrassment of incorruptible members of the bar and the bench.

“The few lawyers who have plucked up the courage to expose corrupt judges and lawyers have been stigmatised and treated like lepers by their colleagues.

“It is on record that when both the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission sent invitation letters to judges suspected of corruption they had rushed to the Federal High Court to obtain interlocutory injunctions to prevent their arrest, investigation, and prosecution.”

He said members of the legal profession had themselves to blame for the harassment of judges by security forces as they had failed to take advantage of the relevant statutory disciplinary bodies to purge the bar and the bench of corrupt elements.

“It is on account of negligence on the part of the legal profession that the SSS which screens candidates before they are recommended by the National Judicial Council for appointment as judges has now engaged in the arrest of judges for alleged corruption and abuse of office,” he said.

Falana, however, said because the detained judges “are presumed innocent until the contrary is proved by the State, they should be admitted to bail in self-recognizance.”

He urged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to ensure that the judges were immediately arraigned without delay.

He lamented the state of the legal profession, saying, “It is a matter of grave concern that the legal profession has allowed the denigration of the hallowed temple of justice because of the misconduct of a few corrupt judges.

“For several years, judges who committed grave criminal offences were not prosecuted but merely retired by the authorities on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.

“Although the National Judicial Council recently recommended the dismissal and prosecution of a judge for extorting the sum of N197m from a litigant the authorities had paid lip service to the menace of judicial corruption in the country.”

President Buhari Speaks On Arrest Of Judges; Says Corruption, Not Judiciary Under Attack

President Muhammadu Buhari has made his first official reaction to the arrest of seven senior judges between Friday night and Saturday morning.

Mr. Buhari said the raids on the judges' residence by the State Security Service, SSS, was an assault on corruption and not on the judiciary.

Seven judges, including two of the Supreme Court, were arrested in the raids, condemned by lawyers and rights groups, and are expected to be charged to court from tomorrow.

The president in a statement by his media adviser, Garba Shehu, described the raids as ‘surgical’ saying due process was followed in the arrests.

“The Presidency has received assurances from the DSS that all due processes of the law, including the possession of search and arrest warrants, were obtained before the searches,” he said.

Read Mr. Shehu’s full statement below:

The Presidency assures that the President reserves his highest respect for the institution of the judiciary as the third arm of government.

To this end, the President will not do anything to undermine its independence.

President Buhari remains a committed democrat, in words and in his actions, and will not take any action in violation of the constitution.

The recent surgical operation against some judicial officers is specifically targeted at corruption and not at the judiciary as an institution.

In a robust democracy such as ours, there is bound to be a plurality of opinions on any given issue, but there is a convergence of views that the country has a corruption problem that needs to be corrected.

But reports by a section of the media are giving us cause for concern.

In undertaking the task of reporting, the media should be careful about the fault lines they open. It is wrong to present this incident as a confrontation between the executive and judicial arms of government.

The Presidency has received assurances from the DSS that all due processes of the law, including the possession of search and arrest warrants, were obtained before the searches.

To suggest that the government is acting outside the law in a dictatorial manner is to breach the interest of the state.

Ed Miliband says MPs must get a vote on 'hard Brexit'

Ed Miliband has held talks with MPs in the hope of persuading Theresa May to allow a Commons vote on any move to leave the single market.

The former Labour leader, along with Nick Clegg and a loose coalition of SNP, Green and Tory MPs, insists the electorate voted only to leave the EU and that Parliament should remain sovereign over the issue of the single market.

It follows concerns among some MPs that - despite the Prime Minister's statements to the contrary - the UK could be heading for a "hard Brexit" in which it pulls out of the single market to regain control over its borders.

Concern over uncontrolled immigration was one of the primary reasons Britons voted to leave the EU, but German chancellor Angela Merkel has insistedBritain must accept free movement of people if it wants to stay in the single market.

Image Caption:Nick Clegg says it is unacceptable for Downing Street to determine the opening Brexit terms

Mr Miliband alleged Downing Street had no authority to withdraw from the single market without consulting MPs.

"Having claimed that the referendum was about returning sovereignty to Britain, it would be a complete outrage if May were to determine the terms of Brexit without a mandate from Parliament," he told The Observer.

"There is no mandate for hard Brexit, and I don't believe there is a majority in Parliament for it either. Given the importance of these decisions for the UK economy ... it has to be a matter for MPs."

Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg concurred that the decision over Britain's role in the single market was too important to be taken by Downing Street alone.

"My great worry is that, while there will be a vote on repealing the 1972 European Communities Act, which is about the decision to leave the EU, it will be left to the executive alone to decide the terms of Brexit. That would not be remotely acceptable," he told the newspaper. 

Image Caption:Keir Starmer: 'Nobody voted for the government to take an axe to the economy'

Former education secretary Nicky Morgan told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "There are a lot of us that feel it would be extraordinary - given that the Brexit vote was about the sovereignty of Parliament, about making our own laws, taking back control - for Parliament not to have a big say in the Brexit negotiations." 

She said she had no been contacted by Mr Miliband but would "talk to everyone".

"This is such a momentous issue for the United Kingdom, I think we can all agree on that whatever side of the debate we are on. It is going to effect our future for decades to come."  

The Conservative MP added: "The Conservative manifesto we were elected on only 17 months ago has a very clear statement in it that we say 'yes' to the single market."

Sir Keir Starmer, who has returned to the Labour front bench as shadow Brexit secretary after storming out in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, insisted MPs must have a vote on the opening terms of Brexit negotiations.

"I accept that freedom of movement was a major issue in the referendum, but nobody voted Leave or Remain only for the government to take an axe to the economy," he told the Andrew Marr Show.

"The PM is saying 'Leave it to us without any scrutiny, or accountability, see you sometime in 2019 with a deal we won't vote on, even then'. That is totally unacceptable."

Mrs May has said she will open the two-year 'divorce' negotiations with Brussels by the end of next March, but has made it clear she does not want a Commons vote on the matter beforehand. 

Religious leaders urge PM to let migrant children in 'Jungle' into UK

Religious leaders have called on Theresa May to allow nearly 400 children living in the 'Jungle' migrant camp in Calais to enter the UK.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister organised by the charity Citizens UK, senior figures from Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths label the camp a "stain" on the consciences of Britain and France.

Image Caption:Iraqi children peer through the window of a caravan in the 'Jungle' camp

The letter says the child migrants, the youngest of whom is eight, have "fled conflict and persecution, are now stuck in Northern France, deeply traumatised and at great risk as well documented by the anti-slavery commissioner you yourself appointed while Home Secretary".

It comes after French president Francois Hollande announced the camp would be bulldozed before Christmas, with its 9,000 inhabitants dispersed around the country, a move welcomed by residents of Calais but which has caused disquiet elsewhere. 

Demonstrators took to the streets in several towns across France at the weekend to protest against Hollande's plan.

Image Caption:A young migrant pulls a trolley at a camp known as the Grande Synthe Jungle, near Dunkirk

About 250 people marched in Forges-les-Bains, 30km (18 miles) southwest of Paris, against a migrant reception centre which opened on Monday.

In Pierrefeu-du-Var, southern France, the Front National party staged an anti-migrant protest that drew about 650 supporters.

It was revealed last month that no children have yet been helped to leave the camp despite changes to Britain's Immigration Act four months ago which were meant to assist them.

Labour peer Lord Dubs made the revelation during a tour of the camp during which he told Sky News: "There are 800 unaccompanied children in this camp and 387 now have the right to go to Britain, but not one has.

"I'm appalled and I'm terribly disappointed. I'll be meeting with the new immigration minister soon and I will be bringing this up. We can't keep doing nothing."

Image Caption:Iraqi migrants Ibrahim, his wife Ashty and their children Mandy (L) and Muhammad (R) pose outside their caravan in the camp

Britain's anti-slavery commissioner, Kevin Hyland, recently warned that children in the camp were risking their lives dealing with smuggling gangs after failing to enter Britain through the tradition route of claiming asylum.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The clearance of the camp in Calais is a matter for the French authorities, who also have primary responsibility for unaccompanied children in France. 

"The UK government has no jurisdiction to operate on French territory and can only contribute in ways agreed with the French authorities and in compliance with French and EU law."

Gatwick Airport to plan new runway even if Heathrow wins

Gatwick Airport will continue preparations to expand, even if Heathrow gets the go-ahead for a third runway, according to a spokesman.

The Davies Commission has already recommended Heathrow as the most suitable site for a new runway, though Theresa May has delayed announcing the Government's final decision until 2017.

MPs are expected to vote on the chosen scheme within a fortnight of the announcement, to strengthen the chosen project's case.

:: No place for Boris Johnson on airport expansion committee

But a Gatwick spokesman said he believed that even if Heathrow got the green light the project would never get off the ground because of environmental obstacles, legal challenges and concerns over the cost of upgrading the airport's transport links.

"Gatwick would be standing ready to deliver the new (second) runway as, should Heathrow get the green light, it is likely to fail as it has several times before," the unnamed spokesman told the Press Association.

"A decision on next steps will be taken after the Government announcement on new runway capacity. While Gatwick does not rule out launching legal action, other groups have already said they would if Heathrow expansion is green-lighted."

A Gatwick spokesman told Sky News: "We are not going to stop making our case to government, whatever they decide."

:: Bigger Airports: Is The Decision Indecision?

The Airport Operators Association (AOA) also weighed-in to the long-running saga, insisting an early decision would affirm Britain remains committed to trading with the rest of the world following voters' decision to leave the European Union.

"Ministers insist that in spite of the UK's impending departure from the EU, the country remains outward-looking and open for business," AOA chief executive Darren Caplan told Business Travel News.

He added: "Nothing could better demonstrate they mean that than a decision that would ensure the UK gets the additional capacity it so vitally needs if the country is to maintain and enhance its position as one of the world's leading and best-connected economies." 

Some 67% of MPs support a third runway, according to a poll published by Heathrow on 13 September.

But environmental campaigners remain fiercely opposed to the plans, warning a new runway cannot go ahead without breaking legal limits on pollution and carbon emissions.

Zac Goldsmith, Conservative MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston, has said he will stand down if Heathrow is expanded.

Arnold Schwarzenegger joins Republican critics of Donald Trump

More than 150 senior Republicans have withdrawn their backing for Donald Trump after his degrading remarks about women from 2005 were made public.

Here is what the critics are saying following the controversy:

:: Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California: "For the first time since I became a citizen in 1983, I will not vote for the Republican candidate for president."

:: Senator John McCain: "Donald Trump's behaviour this week, concluding with the disclosure of his demeaning comments about women and his boasts about sexual assaults, make it impossible to continue to offer even conditional support for his candidacy."

:: Condoleezza Rice: "Enough! Donald Trump should not be president. He should withdraw."

:: US congressman for Utah Jason Chaffetz: "I'm out. I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president. It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine."

:: Ohio Governor John Kasich: "I will not vote for a nominee who has behaved in a manner that reflects so poorly on our country. Our country deserves better."

:: Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said: "I have reached a decision that I can no longer endorse Donald Trump. His pattern of behavior leaves me no choice. I urge Donald Trump to stand aside."

:: Carly Fiorina, former Republican presidential candidate and Hewlett-Packard chief: "Donald Trump does not understand me or my party. I ask Donald Trump to step aside and for RNC to replace him with Governor Mike Pence."

:: Senator John Thune of South Dakota: "Donald Trump should withdraw and Mike Pence should be our nominee effective immediately."

:: Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski: "I cannot and will not support Donald Trump for president. He has forfeited the right to be our party's nominee."

:: Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia: "As a woman, a mother, and a grandmother to three young girls, I am deeply offended by Mr Trump's remarks, and there is no excuse for the disgusting and demeaning language. Women have worked hard to gain the dignity and respect we deserve. The appropriate next step may be for him to re-examine his candidacy."

Many others have not gone as far as to withdraw their support, but have condemned his behaviour.

:: Mike Pence, Mr Trump's presidential running mate: "As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump'"

:: Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska: "Disgusting, shameful, totally disrespectful 'locker room' garbage, privately shared between two Hollywood playboys over a decade ago."

:: Former Florida governor Jeb Bush: "No apology can excuse away Donald Trump's reprehensible comments degrading women," 

:: Former presidential nominee Mitt Romney: "Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America's face to the world."

:: Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who has endorsed his former Republican presidential rival: "Donald's comments were vulgar, egregious and impossible to justify. No one should ever talk about any woman in those terms, even in private."

:: Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who only recently backed Mr Trump: "These comments are disturbing and inappropriate, there is simply no excuse for them."

Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus: "No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever." 

House Speaker Paul Ryan: "I am sickened by what I heard today. Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified."