Nigeria suspends judges named in corruption probe

By Rafiu Ajakaye

SOKOTO, Nigeria

Nigeria has suspended the seven judges recently arrested for alleged corruption, according to a National Judicial Council statement issued on Thursday

The judicial body said the suspects could not be allowed to preside over cases while standing trial.

"Council decided that Judicial Officers shall not be standing trial for alleged corruption-related offences and be performing judicial functions at the same time," the spokesman for the national judicial council, Soji Oye, said in the statement.

Two Supreme Court justices were arrested, alongside five high court judges, on Oct. 7. Police had said the judges were arrested over professional misconduct and corruption.

Coming after weeks of heated debate over the arrest, the suspension of the judges contradicted the earlier position of the judicial council which had insisted that they were innocent and could not be suspended.