Security operatives on Friday night laid siege to the home of supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili but were apparently denied entry into the residence.
Justice Odili, the second highest ranking justice at the Supreme Court is married to former Rivers State governor, Peter who is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC and the Department of State Services, DSS, have however denied invading the residence of Justice Mary Odili, a justice of the Supreme Court.
A statement by the Spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the operatives of the commission did not carry out any raid at the residence of the Justice Odili.
Also, the DSS, through its Spokesman, Dr Peter Afunaya, denied the invasion of the residence of Justice Odili by their men.
But a highly placed source in the Supreme Court told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that those who invaded the Supreme Court Justice’s residence were resisted by the security details of the justice.
The source said, ‘’security operatives invaded the residence of Justice Odili but were resisted by her security details. They could not succeed in their missions.’’
The EFCC in a statement said, ‘’The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to claims in a section of the media that operatives of the Commission today, October 29, 2021 stormed the Maitama, Abuja home of a Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, purportedly to execute a search.
‘’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.’’
Last week, a Federal High Court orders in Abuja, ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service to release the international passport of former Rivers State governor, Dr Peter Odili, which was unlawfully seized from him in July this year.
The judge held that the action of Immigration was not only unlawful but illegal, unconstitutional and ultra vires.
Justice Ekwo in the judgment in a suit filed by Odili to challenge the seizure of the passport upheld the submission of his counsel, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe SAN that the Immigration and its Comptroller General lacked the constitutional powers to do what they did.
The reason adduced by Immigration that Odili’s passport be impounded because he was on the watchlist of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to justify the passport seizure was rejected by the court on the ground that such use of power is not known to any law in the country.
Justice Ekwo noted the federal high court judgment of March 5, 2008 in which an order of perpetual injunction was granted against EFCC, prohibiting the anti-graft agency from investigating Odili on the activities of Rivers State government between 1999 and 2007 when he held sway as the executive governor.
The Judge held that until the order is voided and set aside by a competent court of records, the order remains binding on EFCC, its operatives and agents.
With the existing valid order of 2008, the Judge said that the Immigration lacked validity on what it did and that its action is contemptuous and should not be allowed to stand.
“I found that the seizure of the applicant’s International passport was wrongful, illegal, contemptuous, arbitrary and above all unconstitutional.
“From the evidence which has not been controverted in this case, the seizure of the applicant’s passport upon his return from his medical trip was done in a manner that dehumanized, belittled, harassed and derided him.
“Declaration is hereby made that the seizure of the applicant’s international passport without any reason is illegal and constitute an infringement on his fundamental human rights to freedom of movement and to own moveable property as guaranteed under sections 41 and 44 of the 1999 constitution.
“An order is hereby made directing the respondents to immediately release and return the applicant’s international passport.
“The action of immigration in this matter is condemnable as it is made in violation and disobedience to valid order of court.”
While ordering that the passport with numbers B5003305 be immediately returned to the former governor, Justice Ekwo ordered Immigration to tender apology to Odili in writing for the embarrassment caused him with the seizure of his passport.
Justice Ekwo thereafter granted order of perpetual injunction against Immigration restraining it and its agents from harassing, intimidating or infringing on the fundamental rights of Odili to freedom of movement inside or outside Nigeria.
Odili had dragged the Nigeria Immigration Service and its Comptroller General before the federal high court in Abuja, challenging the seizure of his password at the Nnamdi Azikwe International airport in Abuja for undisclosed reasons.