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Wike slams Nigerian govt for alleged intimidation of judiciary in wake of raid on Justice Odili’s home

November 12, 2021 No Comments

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has criticised the Federal Government over the events which culminated in the invasion of the Abuja residence of Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court by men believed to be security operatives.

According to Wike, these are subtle moves by the Federal government to browbeat the judiciary to its bidding ahead of the 2023 elections.

The Governor made this assertion on Thursday during a special court session to mark the opening of the 2021/2022 Legal Year of the Rivers State Judiciary in Port Harcourt.

According to him, the Federal Government wants to continue to ride roughshod unchecked over the rule of law and the sanctity of the country’s electoral system, hence, the renewed attack on judicial officers.

Wike said, “Although it is still early morning in our democratic match towards 2023, the attack on Justice Mary Odili is a prelude to many more and even worse political maneuverings we should be prepared to experience from the APC-led Federal Government, which having lost relevance and popular support is becoming more and more desperate over its dwindling political fortunes by the day.

“While cases with political undertones, including the constitutional validity of certain sections of the recent amendments to the 2010 Electoral Act, if assented to by Mr President, would necessarily come before our courts; what is important is the duty and capacity of our judiciary to save our democracy and the country.”

He also noted that the current administration has been quick to ridicule the entire institution and subject judges to trauma for its own self-interest.

“We all witnessed the infamous midnight raids on judicial residences and the subjection of some judges, to illegal raids, arrests, and detentions by agents of the Federal Government purportedly carrying out a baseless sting operation back in 2016.

Since then the intimidation of judges whose judgments, intellectual or moral disposition they are not comfortable with has continued unrelenting with the latest attack on a peaceful mother, wife of a former Governor and Justice of the Supreme Court, our own highly revered Hon. Justice Mary Odili

“It is important to emphasize that we allow these intimidations to become acceptable standards of behaviour and even become complicit in their unholy design to undermine the administration of justice when we all opt to keep quite in the face of these assaults,” Governor Wike added.

He challenged the Federal Government to come clean with the names, identities, and affiliations of those allegedly arrested for their roles in the attack.

World News

Invaders of Justice Odili’s home on assassination mission – Supreme Court

November 3, 2021 No Comments

The Supreme Court claimed on Tuesday the security agents who invaded the Abuja home of Justice Mary Odili, wife of former governor of Rivers State, Peter, were on a mission to either kill or maim her.

Security agents comprising soldiers and police operatives had on Friday night laid siege on the Justice’s home in the Maitama area of Abuja over alleged illegal activities in the building.

The security agents, who went to the building with a search warrant, left one hour later when they didn’t find anything incriminating at the place.

In a statement signed by the Director of Press and Information, Festus Akande, the apex court noted that the invasion of Justice Odili’s house was a reflection of a war situation and “appeared like a mission to kill or maim her.”

The statement read: “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, JSC, CFR, on Friday, October 29, 2021, in a Gestapo manner.

The raid, 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 uncivilized 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.

“The judiciary deserves respect as 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.

“There have emerged discordant tunes from the various security agencies that allegedly participated in the dastardly act.

The Nigerian judiciary cannot only bark, but can also bite.

“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 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.

“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.”

Politics

Invasion of Justice Odili’s home cruel, undemocratic – Kalu

October 31, 2021 No Comments

The former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, on Saturday described the invasion of the Abuja residence of a Supreme Court judge, Justice Mary Odili, as a cruel, undemocratic and uncivilized act.

Some security agents had on Friday evening invaded the judge’s residence in the Maitama area of Abuja with a search warrant over alleged illegal activities in the building.

However, in a statement, Kalu called for a full-blown investigation of the raid.

He said the action is capable of causing tension in the country, pointing out that a better approach would have been adopted for the operation.

The Senate Chief Whip noted that the security agents’ invasion of the judge’s residence was at variance with democratic tenets and an infringement on her rights.

He urged the Federal Government to bring the perpetrators to book.

Kalu said: “The invasion of the residence of Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court in a Gestapo manner is totally condemnable and unacceptable in a democratic dispensation.

“The country’s democracy is gradually growing and as such, acts that are not in tandem with the constitution of Nigeria and democratic process must not be tolerated.

“The Federal Government should commence a robust investigation into the sad development to save the face of the country in the comity of nations and to bring the perpetrators of the unfortunate incident to book.”