Led by the State Chief Executive, Barrister Nyesom Wike, political office holders in and from Rivers State have upped the ante and given the Federal Government a 48-hour deadline to probe the invasion of the residence of state indigene and second most senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Mary Odili.
They have also suggested that the invasion of her residence in Abuja by yet-to-be named security operatives was actually an assassination attempt.
Tens of the operatives allegedly attempted to enter her residence to execute a search warrant last Friday, which a Chief Magistrate in Abuja said was gotten from his court dubiously. He has since revoked the warrant, accusing a Federal Government panel, domiciled in the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, of misleading him.
Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, just like the Department of State Services (DSS) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has since washed his hands of the raid.
Said Wike at the briefing of Rivers State political office holders in Abuja on Sunday:“We are taking steps as a government and people of the state to see that this matter is concluded and find out who are those who are the perpetrators.
“We think that there is an attempt to assassinate Justice Mary Odili, the husband and members of the family, there are no two ways about it. If they had succeeded, all the Federal Government would have told us (is that) we will get to the bottom of the matter because that has always been the normal language.
“The issue here has nothing to do with the Attorney General, we are happy he said he is not aware. We said, okay since you are not aware, we are giving you 48 hours to tell us who is responsible.”
“We are telling the world if anything happens to the family of Dr Peter Odili, the Federal Government should be held accountable because they have shown that there is something they are about carrying out.
“If anything happens to my Lord, Justice Mary Odili, the husband and the children, the Federal Government should be held responsible.
“That is the position of the Rivers State government and Rivers people because enough is enough!”
Recall that Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna, who issued the search warrant said he was deceived to do so through misrepresentation of facts by two affidavits that were deposed to by a self-acclaimed whistleblower, Aliyu Umar, and a senior Police Officer, CSP Lawrence Ajodo.
His revocation order on the same day 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.”
The whistleblower, Umar, had claimed that he observed some illegally activities going on at Justice Odili’s residence in Abuja.
In an affidavit he deposed to on October 13, Umar averred: “I have observed some illegal activities going on in those houses within Abuja that 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.”
Based on the affidavit, CSP Ajodo, acting on behalf of the panel which comprises the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and the Ministry of Justice, also deposed to an affidavit, wherein he applied for a warrant to be issued for Justice Odili’s house to be searched.