Some security agents reportedly invaded the Abuja residence of the former Rivers Governor, Peter Odili in Maitama on Friday evening.
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The supreme court justice is the wife of Peter Odili, a former governor of Rivers state, who is currently on the watchlist of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The security operatives, who were made up of soldiers and officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), identified themselves as members of a joint task force.
The security operatives, who came with a search warrant, said they received information on “illegal activities” going on in the house.
The residence is said to also be occupied by his wife, Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court.
The security agents, our correspondent learnt, showed up at the residence around 5pm but were prevented from accessing the property by a team of security officials stationed in the house.
It was gathered that the security team on the ground in the house, comprising men of the State Security Service (SSS) and the police, turned back the visiting security agents, having not been convinced by the reason given as to why they were in the house.
It was also not clear who, between the wife and husband, was the target of the security agents suspected to be from the SSS.
Although it was initially thought to be a joint operation by men of the SSS and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the latter agency distanced officials from the incidence.
The spokesman of the SSS, Peter Afunanya, did not respond to phone calls while his counterpart in the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren issued a statement, distancing the anti-graft commission from the episode.
The Director of Information at the Supreme Court, Dr. Festus Akande’s phone was switched off when our correspondent attempted to reach him.
As at the time of this report, it was not clear which security agency was at the Odilis’ home, their mission and who their target was.
An insider claimed that SSS operatives came to the house but were denied entry by the security agents attached to the house, who said the visiting security men did not provide convincing information about their mission.
The statement by EFCC spokesman reads: “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.”
The ex-governor recently sued the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) over the seizure of his international passport, which the NIS claimed was informed by a request from the EFCC, which claimed to have placed Odili on its watch list.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja ordered the release of the passport in a judgment given on October 18.
Justice Ekwo, who declared the NIS’ action as illegal, ordered the service to among others, publicly apologise to the ex-governor.
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