Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has condemned the raid on the Abuja residence of Justice Mary Odili, wife of the former governor of Rivers State, Sir Peter Odili.
The forum described the raid as crude and primitive while calling on the Federal Government to tender an apology for the action.
Recall that security operatives acting on a search warrant had raided the Abuja home of Mrs Odili on Friday.
The search warrant issued revealed that the panel comprised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Ministry of Justice.
However, the EFCC denied reports that its operatives were behind the raid.
In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF in Port Harcourt, Ken Robinson, the forum described the raid as one of the too many attacks on “persons of South-South extraction.”
The forum noted that the immediate-past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen (retd.), from Cross River State, was in January 2019 subjected to similar treatment, which led to his leaving office ahead of the 2019 general elections.
According to the statement, “The raid at Justice Odili’s residence is another attempt by agents of the Buhari administration to further intimidate and humiliate the nation’s judiciary.
“And this is one of such actions too many against persons of southern extraction, particularly, persons from the South-South geopolitical zone.
“PANDEF recalls that it was in the same nefarious manner was the Abuja residence of the former chief justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen invaded in January 2019, which was considered by many as part of political machinations, leading to the 2019 general election.”
“The raid, in the dusk hours of last Friday, is not only crude and primitive but barbaric and dictatorial. It is another attempt by agents of the (the President, Major General Muhammadu) Buhari administration to further intimidate and humiliate the nation’s judiciary.
“Those who ordered and carried out the scatological invasion of the home of Justice Mary Odili must be identified and punished appropriately. Enough of this nonsense!
“Nigeria is not an ‘Animal Kingdom’, and we can’t afford to let it plummet to that state; the ramifications would be catastrophic for the entire world,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary has called for an investigation into the raid on the home of Justice Odili.
In a press statement signed by the Chairman of the Committee, Luke Onofiok (PDP), the committee said the probe should unmask those behind the warrant used in carrying out the raid.
It said the raid further exposed the judiciary to public disgrace due to how the search warrant was procured.
The committee expressed that the development signifies a wake-up call to tighten administrative and supervisory control over the operations of law enforcement agencies in the country.
It also noted that the confidence and respect of citizens in the judiciary might likely fade if situations of this nature continue unchecked.
“On this note, the House of Representative Committee on the Judiciary calls for a discreet investigation to unravel the persons behind this ignoble act, which is capable of straining the existing relationship between the Judiciary and the Executive arms of our democratic government,” the statement added.
Former Governor of Rivers state and husband to the embattled judge, Peter Odili, has been facing corruption charges raised by EFCC.
