Fear Grips Buhari’s Men Over Judges' Bribery Allegations

Palpable fear has gripped some prominent members of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, following rumours that the presidency might off-load them because of the weighty allegations leveled against some of them by two Supreme Court judges, newtelegraphonline.com reports.

The apprehension came just as prominent Nigerians, including Constitutional lawyer, Ebun Adegboruwa; factional leader of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Goddy Uwazuruike, and a former Secretary to the Benue State Government, Prof. Saint Gbilekaa, called on President Buhari to remove the Minister of Transport, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, and his Science and Technology Counterpart, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu, to enable them defend the weighty allegations leveled against them.

The fear was reinforced when it was observed last week that the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who was allegedly named in a N500million bribe over the fine imposed on the mobile telecommunication company, MTN, had been out of office for over two weeks. Presidency sources said a number of the ministers are jittery over the allegations and that one cannot rule out the possibility of a cabinet shakeup soon to remove some ministers who are said to have heavy baggage. A key government spokesman, who chose not to be named, said he could not confirm that, but that Kyari was on annual leave and would resume duties tomorrow.

Since the arrest of over seven judges by the Department of State Security (DSS), over allegations of corruption in the past three weeks, some of the judges have complained of victimization, witch-hunt and that evidence were planted in their apartment.

While Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court alleged that Hon. Rotimi Amaechi begged him to pervert justice by canceling the governorship election in Ekiti State and order fresh election to favour his friend, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Justice Inyang Okoro alleged that Amaechi also attempted to bribe him to influence the elections in Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom states. Similarly, Justice Ngwuta alleged that Dr. Onu invited him to his house and demanded that he influenced the outcome of the Governorship Election Appeal for Ebonyi State in favour of the Labour Party candidate in the state who had reportedly agreed to decamp to the All Progressives Congress. Read More Here

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