The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Saturday raised alarm over the “unlawful siege” on the Abuja residence of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Ukaego Odili, saying it is convening an emergency meeting of the NBA National Executive Committee solely to discuss this issue and take a definitive stand.
This is just as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said he “was not in any way connected with the fabrications and concocted lies linking him to the ensued imbroglio relating to news stories about the residence of a Justice of the Supreme Court; Justice Mary Odili.”
And to further show that his hands are clean on the raid on Justice Odili’s residence, the Minister said he is forwarding “to the relevant investigation agencies” so they “ascertain veracity or otherwise of the purported association of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and which officer if any in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is associated with such claimed misrepresentation.”
Vowing to ensure that “all those responsible for this unfortunate incident are brought to book,” the NBA stated that “we must do all that is required to safeguard the independence of our Judiciary and indeed protect our hard-won democracy.”
According to the statement by the umbrella body of Nigeria’s practicing lawyers, “@NigBarAssoc (“NBA”) received with grave concern the news of the unlawful siege on the Abuja residence of a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, last night by officers of one or more of the Nigerian security agencies.
“In line with the aims and objectives of the NBA to protect and defend the independence of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law, we will convene an emergency meeting of the NBA National Executive Committee solely to discuss this issue and take a definitive stand on behalf of the NBA.
“I will also lead a delegation to the Honourable AGF Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN and the relevant heads of security agencies to seek further clarification on the circumstances of this incident.
“The NBA will ensure that all those responsible for this unfortunate incident are brought to book. We must do all that is required to safeguard the independence of our Judiciary and indeed protect our hard-won democracy.
“I have spoken with My Lord, Peter-Odili JSC and I am happy to report that she is alive and well. Beyond that however, it is my pledge to Nigerians that the NBA will get to the root of this matter.”
Meanwhile, in a statement titled, ‘Justice Odili: I was not involved, count me out,’ the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, said through Spokesperson, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, said on Saturday that his “clarification” has become imperative in order “to debunk the mischievous publication” because “of the media hype and the dimension the story is taking.”
According to the statement by Malami, “it is important to set the record straight that as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, Malami will not stoop too low to be associated with an apparent in-elegant and nasty court process on the strength of which the purported search warrant was procured.
“The media reports on the issue depict too untidy process that could never emanate from the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. The general public need to know that there was nothing called “Joint Panel Recovery Under the Ministry of Justice” in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and by extension the entire Federal Ministry of Justice.
“What we have is “Assets Recovery and Management Unit” the mandate of which does not include stings operations. Numerous incongruities in the documents being circulated in relation to the saga reveal traces of criminal actions which particular regards to:
1. The name as contained on the purported letter headed paper “Ghost’s Account For Local Whistle Blowers & Assets Tax Recovery Panel”,
2. The ambiguous reference to “Ministry of Justice” without clarifying as to whether it is Federal or State Ministry and of which State,
3. The claimed office address which as revealed by the letter headed paper is not the address of the Federal Ministry of Justice
4. Email address used on the letter
The statement added that “all these deductions would have assisted a discerning mind to arrive at a reasonable conclusion of criminal undertones associated with the court process on the basis of which the purported search warrant was procured.
“The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has since reached out to the relevant authorities for an intensified wider investigation on the matter for necessary actions leading to the prosecution of anyone involved in the matter in view of the fact that the only names on record from the process filed in court are a purported police officer who claimed to be “O/C Assets Recovery Team” and one Aliyu Umar a deponent in the affidavit.
“The claim of the chief magistrate as reported by a section of the media to the effect that he was being misled by office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice into the issuance of the search warrant is equally forwarded to the relevant investigation agencies to ascertain veracity or otherwise of the purported association of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and which officer if any in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is associated with such claimed misrepresentation.”
