Supreme Court: Raid on Justice Odili’s House Appeared Like Mission to Kill, Maim

*Says raid on apex court justice’s residence is impunity taken too far

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Supreme Court of Nigera, the apex court in the land on Tuesday said that the raid on the Abuja residence of Justice Mary Peter-Odili, the next in line to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) is “an impunity taken too far”.

The apex court in a statement by its Director of Information, Dr Festus Akande, warned that the judiciary should not be misconstrued by any one or institution of government as the weeping child among the other arms of government.

This is the first time the highest level of the Judiciary is speaking on the matter since last Friday when the event described by many as unfortunate occurred.

Security operatives claiming to be investigating alleged act of illegal activities had invaded the house of Justice Mary Odili situated at number 7 Imo River Street, Maitama, Abuja.

While the action of the security agencies had come under heavy criticism, the Police as well as the EFCC and Attorney General of the Federation have all denied any involvement in the incident.

Even the Magistrate who issued the search warrant upon which the said panel under the AGF was acting to carry out the search has claimed he was misled and subsequently revoked the search order.

The apex court which said it was saddened by the development described the action of the security operatives as uncivilized and shameful show of primitive force on innocent judicial officer.

The statement read in part, “We are alarmed with the news of the unwarranted and despicable raid on the official residence of one of our senior justices in the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Mary Peter Odili on Friday October 29, 2021 in a Gestapo manner .

“The attack unfortunately depicted a gory picture of war by some armed persons suspected to be security operatives representing different agencies of government who seemed to have come to kill and maim their target under the guise of undertaking a search whose warrant was questionable and baseless.

“We are deeply saddened and taken aback by this uncivilized and shameful show of primitive force on an innocent judicial officer that has so far spent several years of her productive life serving the country she calls her own.

“This incident brought back, rather painfully, the ugly memory of the October 2016 midnight invasion of the homes of our respected justices with no satisfactory explanations as to the true motive behind such brazen assault on our collective sensibility.

“We wish to make it abundantly clear that the Nigerian Judiciary is the third arm of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and should be respected and treated as such.

“We have had a full dosage of this fusillade of unwarranted and unprovoked attacks on our judicial officers and even facilities across the country and we say it loudly now that enough is enough.

“The judiciary should never be misconstrued by any individual or institution of government as the weeping child among the three arms of government that must always be chastised and ridiculed to silence because of our conservative disposition.

“Though there have emerged discordant tunes from the various security agencies that allegedly participated in the dastardly act, we are not lying low on this dehumanizing treatment meted out to one of our own”.

The statement disclosed that the apex court has commenced a full-scale independent investigation to unravel the true masquerades behind the mystery as well as the real motives behind the whole imbroglio.

They call on the Inspector General of Police to rise up to the occasion by carrying out a discreet investigation and make his findings known to the Nigerian public with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice as quickly as possible.

“The Nigerian Judiciary cannot only bark, but can also bite. We can no longer be treated with disdain and levity. The rule of law and constitutionality must govern our conduct so that we can tag along with the comity of nations and be taken seriously too”, the statement added.