The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said it did not carry out any operation in the home of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili as published by some media houses.
But The Punch newspaper is reporting that a Chief Magistrate who issued the search warrant on Odili’s residence has revoked it on learning he was misinformed by a government joint panel that includes the EFCC.
Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has described the invasion as irresponsible.
According to The Punch in its online publication, the panel, which comprises the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and the Ministry of Justice, had obtained a search warrant from a magistrate court after a whistleblower, Aliyu Umar, claimed to have observed illegal activities going on at No. 9, Imo Street, Maitama, Abuja.
The Punch story adds: ‘Umar’s affidavit dated October 13, 2021, read in part, “I have observed some illegal activities going on in those houses within Abuja are illegal and hereby report the said matter to the law enforcement agency.
‘“I hereby state that all information provided by me to the EFCC is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.”
‘In a second affidavit deposed to by a senior police officer, CSP Lawrence Ajodo, the panel applied to the chief magistrate in Abuja seeking a search warrant to search the house.
‘The Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyanna, subsequently approved the search warrant on October 29, 2021.
Armed with the search warrant, the police and other members of the panel stormed the house which turned out to be the home of Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili, who is also the wife of former Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State.
‘Amid the controversy, however, the chief magistrate issued an order on Friday night accusing the government of misleading the court.
‘The order read, “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. In view of the above fact, the said search warrant is hereby revoked.”’
However, reacting to earlier media publications, the spokesman of the anti-graft agency, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said in a short statement that If there was any operation in Justice Odili’s residence as claimed by the media, it was not carried out by the EFCC.
His words; “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.”
An online newspaper, the People Gazette reported late Friday that at least 50 operatives were said to have arrived at the senior jurist’s Abuja residence on Friday evening with immediate efforts to break in.
The publication reported that armed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission visited her residence.
It states further: “The operatives arrived at Mrs Odili’s Abuja residence on Friday evening with immediate efforts to break in, sources told The Gazette. The judge immediately and vehemently resisted the attempts to raid her residence by the operatives, saying she had no business with them.
‘“She told them to go and meet her husband because she does not have any matter pending before them,” our source said under anonymity because they did not get permission to comment on an ongoing operation. Armed police officers were also amongst over 50 operatives said to be part of the operation on Imo River Street, off Danube Street, Maitama.
“Peter Odili, the Supreme Court jurist’s husband and former Rivers governor, has been facing corruption charges raised by the EFCC. Earlier this week, a federal judge ordered the immediate return of his international passport, saying anti-graft prosecutors have failed to substantiate grounds for continuous seizure of the politician’s passport.
Officials could not immediately say whether or not the ongoing standoff at Mrs Odili’s residence was because of her husband’s case.
“The development comes five years after operatives of the State Security Service broke into the residences of over a dozen federal judges, including three of the Supreme Court at the time. Some of the judges have since died, with their family members saying their health deteriorated following the raids.
“The Gazette has called and sent messages to the EFCC for comments.”
Meanwhile in a statement on Friday, the Chairman of the Media Committee Coalition of the United Political Parties (CUPP), Chukwudi Ezeobika, said: “It remains inconceivable how agencies of the Nigerian government could engage in actions that violate rights, constitutionally provided for and guaranteed by the Constitution, especially those of Judicial Officers and in particular, the rights of the Justices of the Supreme Court, without regards to extant Laws.
“Having set this ugly and negative precedent with the unlawful ousting of a former Supreme Court Justice and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen in 2019, the Mohamadu Buhari led APC Government has once more shown to Nigerians and the International Community that it has no regards and or respect for the Rule of Law and the Judiciary.
“We view this forced invasion and continued harassment and intimidation of Judicial Officers
as an act of terror and call for an immediate investigation of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and all officers involved in this reckless and irresponsible conduct with a view to bringing them to Justice.”
“With the worsening security and economic situation in Nigeria occasioned by unprecedented ineptitude on the part of Mohamadu Buhari led APC Government, it has become clear that the current administration has wilfully and consciously chosen to derail our nascent democracy and lead Nigeria to a part of no return.
“We therefore demand an immediate withdrawal of security operatives from the private residence of Justice Mary Odili and an unreserved apology from the Nigerian government in this regards.”
