The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, says those who invaded the home of Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court to execute a dubiously obtained search warrant have been arrested.
He told a two-day capacity building workshop for security operatives, held at Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday, a day after he told the country that an investigation into the incident had commenced and perpetrators would be fished out and brought to justice: “I have taken my time not to speak quickly on this issue to ensure that when I speak, I am able to give Nigerians information on what transpired or what has been done. To the best of my knowledge, we have been able to arrest the perpetrators and we are investigating the circumstances surrounding the invasion or siege on the judge’s residence.”
Last Friday, tens of security operatives, said to be part of a joint panel, operating out of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, stormed Justice Odili’s residence in Abuja to conduct a search based on a warrant obtained from a Chief Magistrate Court. Odili resisted the move, while the Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyana, revoked the warrant that same day, alleging he was misled.
The Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and AGF Abubakar Malami SAN all denied involvement in the saga led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, though their operatives were said to be part of the invasion.
Also on Tuesday, the Supreme Court broke its silence four days after the incident, describing the invasion as unlawful and warned that the judiciary should not be misconstrued by any individual or institution of government as the whipping child among the three arms of government.
In a statement by its Director of Press and Information, Dr. Akande Festus, the apex court said that the attack was uncivilized and a shameful show of primitive force on an innocent judicial officer.
The statement reads 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 29” October, 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 uncivilised 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 whipping 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 dehumanising treatment meted out to one of our own.
“We have commenced a full-scale independent investigation to unravel the true masquerades behind the mystery as well as the real motives behind the whole imbroglio.
“Similarly, we call on the Inspector General of Police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 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”.