Rivers CP To Be Sanctioned For Helping Governor Wike Stop Judge's Arrest

The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Mr. Francis Odesanya, is under fire for his role in the aborted arrest of a judge of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, last Saturday.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike rushed to No. 35, Forces Avenue GRA official residence of the judge and prevented operatives of the Department of State Services from arresting the judge.


Wike, who was said to have had a confrontation with the DSS officials, was said to have been joined at the scene by the police commissioner.

A highly-placed source, who spoke on the saga, said
preliminary report had shown that CP Odesanya prevented the security agencies from carrying out a legitimate order.

Based on the report, he said the police authorities as well as the Police Service Commission would sanction the police boss.

The source stated, “The Rivers Commissioner of Police will be dealt with appropriately. It has been established that the DSS officials who were at the judge’s residence had with them duly signed search and arrest warrants.

“By stopping the security agents from doing their work, what he did was to obstruct justice. He stopped those people from carrying out a legitimate order. He will be sanctioned accordingly.”

The Public Relations Officer, Rivers State Command, Nnamdi Omoni, told journalists that policemen were only at the judge’s residence to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.
It was also learnt by The Punch that about 15 judges across the country were under investigation.

It was gathered that the DSS was investigating the judges based on various petitions, which accused them of corruption.

A Federal Government official said the 15 judges included seven that were arrested last weekend

The DSS had, in what it called a sting operation, arrested Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro, both of the Supreme Court; the suspended Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya; Justice Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court and Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Other arrested were a former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike, and Muazu Pindiga of the Federal High Court, Gombe Division.

It was said that besides the judges, the DSS had invited three court registry staff across the country as part of the investigations into the alleged corruption in the judiciary.

“Currently, we are investigation 15 judges, including the seven that were arrested. Three court registry staff have been invited and quizzed. We have facts and figures,” the source stated.

Giving an insight into the allegation against some of the judges, he said that some of them received bribes to compromise judgments, to the detriment of Nigeria and Nigerians.