Arrest of judges, height of executive lawlessness – Group

A group, the Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-corruption Crusade (FHRACC), has condemned the invasion and arrest of two Supreme Court judges and the failed attempt to abduct another in Port Harcourt.

National President of FHRACC, Alaowei Cleric, in a statement made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State on Sunday, described the actions of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) as the height of executive lawlessness and brigandage.

“This is a desecration of the sacred temple of justice by the executive arm, which is supposed to be the custodian of the rule of law, having been constitutionally empowered to enforce the law.

“There is no justification whatsoever for this act of impunity by security agencies who are acting on the orders of the executive head.

“This is the height of executive lawlessness. Nigeria is now turning into a banana republic where the rule of law has been consigned in the dustbin.

President must call his overbearing security operatives to order before things get out of order.

“These unlawfully and unconstitutionally sordid acts of enforcing the law must be stopped.

Nigeria is practising a constitutional democracy therefore the executive acts must be in consonance with the rule of law.

There are laid down procedures to enforcing the law of the land and President Buhari’s anti- graft war cannot be an exception.

You cannot come to invade a judge’s premises like a common criminal in the name of anti-corruption war without first availing the laid down processes.

Were the judges invited by any of these marauding security forces that they failed to honour such invitation?

Or were they at any time obstructed the cause of justice to justify these unwholesome invasions and arrest?” the human rights activist queried.

Cleric called on all Nigerians to rise to defend the country’s hard-earned democracy, warning that an air of dictatorship, despotism and autocracy has permeated the democratic terrain.