Attack On Justice Odili’s Residence: Enough Is Enough – Supreme Court Declares

The Supreme Court has described the invasion of the residence of Justice Mary Odili by security agents as an impunity taken too far.

The apex Court in a statement by its Director of Press and Information, Dr Akande Festus said that it has had a full dosage of the fusillade of unwarranted and unprovoked attacks on its judicial officers and even facilities across the country, stressing that; “we say it loudly now that enough is enough”.

The statement specifically said that the judiciary should never be misconstrued by any individual or institution of government as the whipping child among the three arms of government that must always be chastised and ridiculed to silence because of its conservative disposition.

It further described the attack was uncivilized and shameful show of primitive force on an innocent judicial officer.

The statement also said; “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 on Friday 29” October, 2021 in a Gestapo manner.

“The attack 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 uncivilised 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.

“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 wish to make it abundantly clear that the Nigerian Judiciary is the third arm of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and should be respected and treated as such.

“Though there have emerged discordant tunes from the various security agencies that allegedly participated in the dastardly act, we are not lying low on this dehumanising treatment meted out to one of our own.

“We have commenced a full-scale independent investigation to unravel the true masquerades behind the mystery as well as the real motives behind the whole imbroglio” it said.

The Supreme Court therefore called on the Inspector General of Police 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.

It pointedly said that the Nigerian Judiciary cannot only bark, but can also bite, adding that the judiciary 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,” the Supreme Court stressed.