The Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has condemned the raid on Justice Mary Odili by the Nigerian Police, Army and the men of the Department of State Secret Service on Friday.
Justice Mary Odili, who is in line to succeed the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammad Tanko rumoured to be in ill health, has been nowhere to be seen after the raid.
“The raid on Justice Mary Odili’s house is unfortunate and https://t.co/1Y98uFewuS’s not unexpected that such a courageous woman will be a subject and target of state cruelty & harassment. I stand with her.”
The residence of Justice Odili at Maitama in the Federal Capital Territory was raided after the Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna of Wuse Zone 6 Magisterial Division issued a search warrant.
According to Mr Iyanna, he said he was deceived into signing a search warrant by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami for the raid of the residence of the Supreme Court jurist Odili.
Consequently, the warrant was revoked over the misrepresentation of information provided by the Ministry of Justice.
“Upon misrepresentation to this honourable court that led to the issuance of a search warrant in favour of Joint Panel Recovery, Ministry of Justice, against House 9, Imo Street, Maitama, Abuja, dated October 29, 2021,” the senior magistrate said in a fresh order. “In view of the above fact, the said search warrant is hereby revoked.”
Meanwhile, Mary Odili’s husband, the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili has been on the radar of the Economic Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, and not his wife, Justice Mary Odili.
The EFCC, in a statement on Friday, denied raiding the residence of the Chief Justice Odili saying that the malicious allegation published by some sections of the media was false.
“EFCC Did Not Carry Out Any Operation in Justice Odili’s Home
The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to claims in a section of the media that operatives of the Commission today, October 29, 2021 stormed the Maitama, Abuja home of a Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, purportedly to execute a search.
The Commission by this statement wishes to inform the public that the report is false as it did not carry out any operation at the home of Justice Odili.
If there was any such operation as claimed by the media, it was not carried out by the EFCC.
The Commission enjoins the public to discountenance the report.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity”
Recall that on April 19th 2019, the residence of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen was raided and he was unceremoniously removed from office. Justice Onnoghen opened up recently revealing why he was targeted by the administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
