Rivers N’Assembly Caucus Blames APC for Attack on Justice Odili’s Residence

By Adedayo Akinwale

The Rivers State National Assembly Caucus has called on Nigerians and the international community to hold agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) responsible should any harm befall Justice Mary Odili or any member of her family.

The caucus in a statement issued yesterday and jointly signed by Sen. George Sekibo and Hon. Kingsley Chinda condemned in clear terms the daring attack on the Abuja residence of Dr. Peter and his wife Justice Mary Odili by sponsored thugs of the APC following the judgment of the Supreme Court in the Bayelsa State governorship election.

The caucus also condemned the silence of the federal government and security agencies over what it described as an ‘audacious act of primitivism and grave threat whereby placard-carrying thugs invaded the privacy of the Odilis and erected barricades against their residence for no other reason than the fact that Mrs. Odili participated in the Bayelsa State governorship appeal as one among a five-man panel which heard the appeal and reached a unanimous decision that sacked the APC candidate’.

It recalled that in 2015, Rivers State was the victim of unfavourable judicial decisions where 15 out its 16 members of the National Assembly were sacked.

It added that as painful as the decisions were, there was no recourse to self-help or threat of violence against any of the Justices who sat on the appeals.

According to the caucus, “This latest wanton shamelessness constitutes a new dimension in the ongoing assault against the judiciary, and, once again, underlines Nigeria’s inexorable degeneration and descent into rapid lawlessness.

“We would like to point out that Justice Odili, who has been inexplicably and unfairly targeted since the Bayelsa State governorship decision, was a member of other panels of the Supreme Court which gave judgment in favour of at least three APC governors who are in office today.

“Finally, we call on Nigerians and the international community to note this egregious assault on the dignity and office of a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and hold agents of the APC and their backers responsible should any harm befall Justice Odili or any member of her family.”

Related Articles