On Friday, anxiety and uncertainty surrounded Supreme Court Justice Mary Ekaego Peter Odili’s fate and whereabouts, following an alleged illegal siege imposed by security personnel on her Abuja family house.
At around 5 p.m. yesterday, Justice Odili’s family house on lmo Rivers Street, in Maitama, Abuja, was alleged to have been surrounded by fully armed plain-clothed security men for unspecified reasons.
However, security guards monitoring the residence were alleged to have opposed the takeover of the house in the absence of a court warrant or ‘orders from above’.
In the drama that ensued, the unidentified security operatives were said to have stayed put, waiting for instructions ‘from above’ to the residence guards to take over the house.
At the time of this report, newsmen could not ascertain the fate and whereabouts of the Justice, as all roads leading to the street have been effectively blocked.
However, in a drama that compounded the problem and confusion, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), claimed it did not carry out any operation in Justice Odili’s home.
According to a statement was issued by the EFCC’s Head, Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, “The Commission by this statement wishes to inform the public that the report is false as it did not carry out any operation at the home of Justice Odili. If there was any such operation as claimed by the media, it was not carried out by the EFCC. The Commission enjoins the public to discountenance the report”.
At the time of this report, the situation remained uncertain as to the Director of Information of the Department of the State Service, (DSS), Dr. Peter Ofunaya did not pick his cell phone and no statement was issued on the matter by the security agency.
The Director of the Press and Information at Nigeria’s Supreme Court, Dr. Festus Aweneri Akande, switched-off his phone when newsmen tried to reach him.
Recall that the husband of the Supreme Court Justice, Dr. Peter Odili had a running battle with the Nigerian Immigration Service over unlawful seizure of his international passport upon arrival from a trip to the United Kingdom.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had on 18 ordered the immediate release of the passport on the ground that it was unlawful seized and that the right of Odili to own property and move about as enshrined in the constitution was grossly breached.
Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo in his judgment on the issue ordered Immigration Service to apologise in writing to Odili for the embarrassment caused him by the unlawful seizure of the passport.
