A brazen assault and gratuitous insult on Nigerian judiciary

First, they came for the socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
“Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me”- Martin Niemoller (1892-1984).
If there were ever a time that Niemoller’s words were appropiate in the Nigerian context, this is it. The cold claws of persecution, victimisation, terror and marginalisation have certainly taken grip in our nation.
Yesterday it was the politicians, members of the opposition, presiding officers and key members of the National Assembly, dissenters, government critics, bloggers, journalists, Shia Muslims, Christians and carefully selected serving and former military and security personnel. Today, it is the judges.
Their homes were raided by hundreds of fully armed DSS commandos between 1.00 and 2.00a.m. last week.
Their streets were surrounded and sealed up. Their gates and front doors were smashed open and they were forcefully and violently arrested and detained.
Their families and loved ones were traumatised and terrorised.
Their staff and members of their household were held captive, threatened and sent scampering for cover under their beds.
Yet those that suffered these gross violations of their fundamental human rights, civil liberties and indignities were not wily and desperate politicians or hardened miltary men that were fighting and conspiring against the government or plotting a military coup d’etat.
They were not dangerous dissidents or Boko Haram terrorists.
They were not battle-hardened Niger Delta Avengers or seasoned OPC and IPOB fighters.
They were not members of a dangerous and evil armed cult that were plotting to kill innocent people and they were not a group of radical and desperate secessionists or freedom fighters.
They were not angry students or trade unionists that were planning to block the streets, to stop all movements and activities, to bring the country to a standstill or to burn the nation down.
They were none of these things and included none of these groups or people.
Instead they were all senior and respected members of the Nigerian judiciary.
They included two Supreme Court judges, three Federal High Court judges and a number of others.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was almost shot dead when he attempted to protect the home of one of the judges in Port Harcourt and stop them from arresting him.
The truth is that we are in trouble in this country. The motherland and all that we hold dear is under attack from a ravenous and dictatorial president and government.

Source: sun