Security operatives comprising the Nigeria Police Force and soldiers of the Nigerian Army on Friday stormed the Abuja home of Justice Mary Odili, a court of the Supreme Court, in an apparent attempt to search it.
Justice Odili is the wife of Peter Odili, a former two-term governor of Rivers State, who is currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
According to sources, the security agents operated under a Joint Panel Recovery unit of the Ministry of Justice, which comprises the EFCC, the Nigeria Police Force and the Ministry of Justice.
The panel was said to have obtained a search warrant from a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Abuja to search the residence of the justice, located at Maitama, Abuja.
The warrant was approved by Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyanna, on 29 October after a whistleblower, Aliyu Umar, claimed to have observed illegal activities going on at No. 9, Imo Street, Maitama, Abuja.
The affidavit partly stated: “That I am sure and convinced that the kind of activities going on in those houses within Abuja is illegal and hereby report the said matter to the law enforcement agency.
“That I hereby state that all information provided by me to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
“That this affidavit is made in good faith and for record purposes.”
Consequently, Lawrence Ajodo, a Chief Superintendent of Police and a member of the investigation team under the asset tax recovery panel of the Ministry of Justice, sought a warrant to carry out a search.
A source stated that Justice Odili, who is one of the most senior justices in the country, was upset about the decision of the EFCC to search her home.
“EFCC operatives armed with a search warrant stormed Justice Odili’s home today, claiming to be investigating her husband,” the Punch quoted the source as saying.
“Justice Odili insisted that it was her personal house and not her husband’s own.”
Following the invasion by the security operatives Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State, who is in Abuja for the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), arrived at the justice’s residence to see things for himself.
Governor Wike was accompanied by Abiye Sekibo, a former minister of transportation; Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications; Austin Okpara, a former deputy speaker of the house of representatives; Okon Aniete and Lee Maeba, a former senator.
It is, however, not known if the governor and his delegation met with Justice Odili.
Meanwhile, the EFCC has denied the involvement of its operatives in the search.
According to a statement issued by Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity on Friday, the anti-graft agency at no time participated in the process.
The statement read: “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.”
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