Mary Odili’s home invasion driven by greed – NBA special Investigator

The invasion of Mary Odili’s home by a group of armed security operatives last October has been attributed to “greed and downright stupidity,” a special investigator of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has said.

Mrs Odili, a Justice of the Supreme Court and wife of a former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, had her Abuja residence raided by a team spearheaded by Lawrence Ajodo, a fake police officer.

Amid the outrage triggered by the raid on Mrs Odili’s abode in the upscale Maitama area of Abuja, the Supreme Court condemned the incident, which it said “depicted a gory picture of war”, appearing like a mission to kill or maim the jurist.

The NBA also condemned the raid and commissioned Monday Ubani as its special investigator to unravel the circumstances that led to the incident and which government officials had authorised it.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the prime suspect, Mr Ajodo, claimed to have been working for an asset recovery committee of the federal ministry of justice. He claimed to have been engaged by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who disowned him and denied knowing anything about the invasion.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Inspector-General of the Police, Usman Baba, and the State Security Service (SSS), had equally denied involvement in the raid.

NBA investigator’s report appears to have exonerated the government agencies and officials, particularly Mr Malmi whom the association initially alleged to have a case to answer in the wake of the incident last year.

In December 2021, the police arraigned Mr Adjodo and 14 others in connection to the invasion.

NBA investigator’s findings

Mr Ubani, the NBA special investigator on the incident, who is a former 2nd vice president of the body of lawyers, submitted his report to the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Thursday.

The report said the “imaginary sums of money stashed away in Mr. Peter Odili’s house was just a mere brainwave of a mind afflicted perhaps by high fever.”

Mr Ubani, who also chairs NBA’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), said he interviewed several persons, who were connected to the invasion.

“Among those I interviewed in the course of the investigation were the Chief Justice of Nigeria; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN; the victim, Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili; the Chief Judge of High Court of FCT, and the Chief Magistrate who issued the search warrant that set the invasion in motion, His Honour Emmanuel Iyanna,” the NBA investigator stated.

Mr Ubani said the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, refused to respond to his request for an interview on the matter.

He said he did not have access to Mr Ajodo and other suspects who were then in detention but got their extra-judicial statements which he reviewed and found insightful. The suspects, 15 of them, are now standing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

“Having reviewed all the oral and documentary evidence relating to the matter, I am of the firm view that the unwholesome invasion was driven by greed and the quest for financial gain by the ring leaders,” Mr Ubani said.

What may exculpate the Chief Magistrate, His Honour Emmanuel Iyanna despite his observed negligence and manifest errors in the processes, is the fact that the Search Warrant that contained the address of No. 9 Imo Close, Maitama, Abuja was sought to be executed on No. 7 Imo River, Maitama, Abuja,” the report stated.

Recommendations

To guard against a reoccurrence of unlawful invasion of people’s homes, the report recommended that “substantive and procedural laws with elaborate processes and procedures for the issuance of search warrants, arrest warrants, detention orders, extension of detention orders among others should be enacted for the states and the federal government by the legislature.”

The report further reiterated the importance of the judiciary’s independence.

“It is either we have independent judiciary or we choose not to have it. The advantages of an independent judiciary cannot be over-emphasised.”

The report also emphasised the need to ensure strict adherence to the principle of the independence of the judiciary.

“The independence of the Judiciary must be sustained through administrative, operational and financial autonomy.”

The report reiterated that the judicial arm of government “is such an important arm”, adding that “under no circumstance should the judiciary be permitted to be subjected to intimidation or harassment in the course of performing its constitutional duties.”

The report added: “Government agencies or security agencies that tolerate or harbour criminal gangs, touts or law-breakers in and around their offices should be made to answer to their illegal activities by being summoned by the various committees that superintend over them in the legislature.”

Ensuring obedience to court orders and respect for the rule of law should remain the eternal pursuit of the NBA and other professional bodies until these become abiding principles by every government in Nigeria.”