A judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja division, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba has threatened to sue the Department of State Service (DSS) over the invasion of his residence by the agency’s officers. Dimgba made this disclosure in a letter to the chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Mahmud Mohammed (who is also the Chief Justice of Nigeria).
In the letter, Dimgba stated that on 16th September 2016, the DSS invited and detained the Registrar attached to his court at its office in Abuja. He further said the registrar was not only detained but her phones were seized while operatives of the DSS “threatened her to provide them with testimonies that can implicate me in the performance of my official duties.”
Dimgba notes in the letter, ”When the DSS did not succeed in their above goal of implicating me through the court registrars on Friday, 7 October 2016 by 8pm, they invaded my residence. When I asked, they first presented me with a search warrant for a No 19 Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Legislative Quarters, Zone E and which had a John Inyang Okoro as defendant.
“When I explained that my house address was not 19 Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Legislative Quarters, Zone E and that my name was certainly not John Inyang Okoro on the search warrant, the DSS team leader explained that there was a mix-up. He then presented me with another search warrant for 30 Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Legislative Quarters, Zone E but which had A.F.A Ademola as the defendant.
“When I also explained that I was not A.F.A Ademola but that my name was Justice Dimgba, the DSS team leader stated that whatever was the case, they said the DSS were under instructions from above to search Justice Nnamdi Dimgba’s house. I endured the whole ordeal in this open garden as the neighbour was away.Thereafter, the DSS operatives turned on my nephew who resides with me and my driver.They beat them to pulp with guns and forced their way into, ransacked the entire house in the course of execution of a non-existent search warrant.
“They went away with my bag containing a number of case files which I had planned to work on for the weekend in relation to judgments adjourned, my power cable of my laptop and also my own copy of the reply dated September 4, 2016 which I had sent to the NJC to the DSS’ petition against me. I pray, my Lord, for your intervention to: (1) stop these acts of harassment and intimidation against me by the DSS; and ensure the immediate return of these seized case files and my answer to their petition to me.Not returning the case files make it almost impossible for me to proceed with the completion of the judgements.I also wish to state that I intend to commence legal proceedings in court against the DSS for the above brazen violations of my rights, unless my Lord otherwise advises.”
