DSS invades residences of two Supreme Court, three Federal High Court Judges, injures Governor

Operatives of the Department of State Services invaded the residences of two Justices of the Supreme Court and those of three Judges of the Federal High Court between Friday night and the wee hours of Saturday.
The invasion was said to have been carried out in gestapo-like manner simultaneously.
This was even as the operatives of the DSS molested the Governor of Rivers State, Nyeson Wike, barely 24 hours after he had a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
The Justices of the Supreme Court whose residences were invaded were Walter Onnoghen and Sylvester Ngwuta, while two of the judges of the Federal High Court affected were Adeniyi Ademola and Nnamdi Dimgba.
Also, ‎it was also learnt that in Gombe, on Friday, operatives of the DSS not only invaded the residence of Justice Muazu Pindiga, also of the Federal High Court, but arrested him.
Pindiga was the first Chairman of the Rivers State Elections Petitions Tribunal before he was changed midway into the hearing of the dispute arising from the 2015 governorship election in the state.
According to the statement issued by Wike’s media aide, the illegal siege on Rivers State by the DSS continued unabated during the early hours of Saturday as hundreds of its operatives and policemen attempted to illegally abduct a Federal High Court judge residing at 35, Forces Avenue, Port Harcourt‎.
The illegal failed abduction was led by Tosin Ajayi, the Rivers State Director of the Department of State Services and Rivers State Commissioner of Police Francis Odesanya.
The operatives of DSS reportedly rough-handled Governor Wike, pushing him around and injuring his hand.
A few of the operatives cocked their rifles and threatened to shoot the Governor.
They were irked by Governor Wike’s arrival at the scene shortly after the failed abduction process began.
It was learnt that Governor Wike received security information on the illegal moves, minutes after the operation started.
The security operatives blocked the entrance of the residence of the Federal High Court judge at about 1am on Saturday, claiming that they were acting on orders from above.
As they dragged Governor Wike, they insisted that they must be allowed to leave with the judge.
However, the commotion attracted passers by and journalists who thronged the vicinity to know why hundreds of security agents in several patrol vans had been mobilised.
Upon the arrival of the national media, Ajayi jumped into his vehicle and fled the scene.
However, addressing journalists, Odesanya said the two security agencies were at the scene because they received privileged information.
Odesanya claimed he was at the scene as a peace maker.
He declined comments on why the Police joined the DSS in abducting a serving Federal High Court judge.
In an interview with journalists at the scene, Governor Wike said it will not be under his watch that security agencies wiĺl be allowed to entrench needless impunity.
He declared that their reckless action portends danger to the nation’s democracy, noting that he is convinced that President Buhari is not aware of the level of impunity being perpetrated by federal security agencies.
Governor Wike stated that whatever the situation, the rule of law must prevail in a democratic setting.
He said if the security agencies had a lawful directive to implement, they must follow due process .
According to him: “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.
“Rivers State is under siege.
“For you to see a governor out at this time of the day, something is wrong.
“A siege is an understatement.
“If this type of thing happens next time, the people wiĺl resist it to the last.
“They are trying to do something funny in this state, probably to declare a state of emergency.”