Justice Iyang Okoro of the Supreme Court says his arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS) may not be unconnected to a requested made by the Transport Minister, Mr Chibuike Amaechi.
The Judge claimed that Mr Amaechi, who was the former Governor of Rivers State, had visited him on February 1, 2016 asking him to ensure that the candidate of the All Progressive Congress in the April 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Umana Umana, must win all of his appeals.
In a four-page letter to the National Judicial Council, Justice Okoro said that the Minister informed him that he sponsored the Akwa Ibom governorship candidate and should he lose the elections, he, Amaechi would have lost a fortune.
Justice Okoro further alleged that the Minister had told him that he had spoken with the Chief Justice of Nigeria to include him (Justice Okoro) in the panel to hear the appeal and that the said Umana Umana also visited him, making the same request.
Justice Okoro went on to say that the sum of $24,000 and 10,000 euro found in his house during the raid by the department of state services were an accumulation of three years travel and medical allowances, since his sojourn to the Supreme Court.
He added that the DSS had not confronted him with any petition or complaint against him.
The judge further alleged that the operatives, who visited his house, pointed guns at him from different angles like a common criminal.
In reaction to the claims of the judge, the office of Mr Amaechi in a statement said the claims were false.
“It is a figment of his imagination, concocted to obfuscate and politicise the real issues for his arrest and DSS investigation of allegations of corruption against him.
“The claims by Justice Okoro against Amaechi are blatant lies, bereft of any iota of truth or even logic.
“Amaechi did not and has never approached Justice Okoro in respect of the cases Okoro mentioned or any other case.
“This is a cheap attempt, albeit, political move to drag the name of Amaechi into something he knows nothing about,” the statement from the office read.
Mr Amaechi’s office further asked Justice Okoro to face his issues and leave Amaechi out of it, saying the Minister would seek redress.