DSS does not have the authority to arrest anybody – SAN

A renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Afe Babalola, says the Department of State Service (DSS) is not empowered by law to arrest.

Babalola, who was a guest on Channels Television’s News Night, said the constitutional duties of the secret service is to feed the President with information as it affects the nation.

“The DSS duty in law is merely to gather information and give it to the President and all that. They are not to arrest,” he said.

The respected lawyer was reacting to the raid of judges’ homes in a sting operation carried out by DSS operatives in 2016.

Although the agency defended its action blaming it on intelligence that some judges stashed larges sums of currencies in their homes, the development however received condemnation from prominent Nigerians and groups, including the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But Babalola insisted that the law has indicated how to deal with erring judges in the discharge of their judicial functions.

“There are rules, laws of dealing with judges when they commit an offence. That has not been followed,” he said.

Despite this, the founder of Afe Babalola University, believes that not all judges are corrupt.

Speaking on the independence of the judiciary, Babalola faulted the President Muhammadu Buhari over the clamp down of judges two years ago.

According to him, the action might create fear in some judges from delivering judgement without fear or favour.