SERAP to Buhari: Order immediate unconditional release of arrested judges

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari requesting him to use his “good offices and leadership to urgently instruct the Department of State Service (DSS) to immediately and unconditionally release all the judges arrested by them and to ask the DSS to end continuing intimidation and harassment of the judiciary.” 

The organization said that, “If following the receipt and/or publication of this letter, your government fails or refuses to immediately and unconditionally release the judges as requested, SERAP would promptly consider appropriate legal options nationally and internationally to ensure the full and effective implementation of our requests.”



SERAP’s letter dated 9 October 2016 and signed by its executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni said that, 

“We are seriously concerned about the wave of arrests, intimidation and harassment of judges across the country by the DSS. 

While we fully support the government’s efforts to eradicate judicial corruption, we cannot accept anticorruption strategies and methods which patently offend the rule of law and undermine the authority, integrity, sanctity and independence of the judiciary.” 

The letter copied to both Mr Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Ms Monica Pinto, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers reads in part: “SERAP believes that strategies and methods to sanction suspected corrupt judges must never have an inhibiting or chilling effect on the authority, sanctity, integrity and independence of the judiciary.”




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