The Nigerian Senate has urged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to make public, all findings of investigation into the recent invasion of the Abuja home of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Peter-Odili, by operatives of security agencies.
Senate, while also condemning the raid, commended the IGP for making arrests and constituting a panel to investigate the raid on Odili’s residence.
These resolutions were sequel to a point of orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules raised by Senator Betty Apiafi on the “Urgent Need to Investigate the Invasion of Justice Mrs. Odili’s Residence by Security Agents.”
Senator Apiafi noted that “on October 29, 2021, security operatives invaded the home of the Supreme Court Judge, who is a second most senior judicial officer in Nigeria.”
She recalled that a joint panel recovery unit of the Ministry of Justice, comprising 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, Abuja.
The lawmaker, however, expressed worry 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.”
“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,” she stated.
Other Senators who contributed to the motion presented by Senator Apiafi, affirmed that it 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.
VON