The Senate on Tuesday, 9 November, 2021, condemned the invasion of the Abuja home of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Peter-Odili, by operatives of security agencies.
The Upper Chamber also commended the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, for making arrests and constituting a panel to investigate the raid on her residence.
Accordingly, it urged the Police Inspector-General to make public, all findings of investigation into the matter.
These formed part of resolutions reached by the Senate, following a point of order raised by Senator Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers West) during plenary.
Apiafi, while coming under order 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules, moved a motion on the “Urgent Need to Investigate the Invasion of Justice Mrs. Odili’s Residence by Security Agents.”
The lawmaker in her motion noted that on October 29, 2021, security operatives invaded the home of the Supreme Court Judge.
She noted that Justice Mary Odili is a second most senior judicial officer in Nigeria.
She recalled that a joint panel recovery unit of the Ministry of Justice, comprising of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigerian Police and the Ministry of Justice, purportedly sought for a search warrant from an FCT Magistrate after a so called whistleblower claimed to have observed illegal activities allegedly going on in a house at Imo street, Maitama.
She added that, “the Senate is worried that this incident, brings back to mind the similar invasion of homes of some senior Judicial Officers, including Chief Judges of the Supreme Court, and Judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja and other parts of the country in October 2016, which was widely condemned.
“Further worried that the home of such a highly revered judicial officer could be raised in such a manner by security agents.
“The Senate is disturbed that eleven days after the incident, though the Inspector General of Police claims some arrests have been made and investigations are still ongoing, even though the details of such arrest have not been made public.
Contributing, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who chairs the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, said no member of the upper chamber “was at ease hearing the news of what happened.”
He added that the motion presented by Senator Apiafi, represents the collective desire of members of the National Assembly in ensuring that the government takes appropriate steps to bring to book all those found culpable.
He noted that doing so would send a clear signal on the need to respect the sanctity of the Judiciary and to also protect Judicial Officers in Nigeria, whose rights under the law must be protected.
Senator George Thompson Sekibo (PDP, Rivers East), on his part, recalled that the Port Harcourt residence of Justice Mary Odili was invaded a couple of months ago.
He said, “Several reasons were given why thugs invaded the house. I don’t want to mention the reasons, so it does not bring in controversy.
“Recently, as the motion said, the house in Abuja was also invaded. [And] then after a struggle, the security agents that invaded the place left the residence.
“They claimed to have brought a warrant from a magistrate court in Abuja.
“They claimed that the Minister of Justice was aware of it. There are several claims.
“The Minister of Justice has denied and dissociated himself from that, the Chairman of EFCC has also done that.
“[And] I’ve read statements by the Inspector General of Police that he has carried some arrests and that they are investigating the matter.
“My problem is this, oftentimes, things happen and then police investigates and, in most cases, we don’t get the result of investigation.
“I pray that this investigation comes to limelight.”
Accordingly, the Senate in its resolutions condemned the invasion of the home of the second and most senior judicial officer in Nigeria, Justice Mrs. Mary Odili.
It also commend the Inspector General of Police for the arrests already made and investigation panel he has instituted.
The Chamber urged the Inspector General of Police to make public the outcome of investigations.”
