14 hoodlums paraded over Odili’s residence raid as Malami denies suspects

New developments have unfolded around the October 29 raid on Justice Mary Odili’s Maitama residence as the police on Thursday paraded 14 suspects involved in the incident in Abuja, TopNaija reports.

The police found out that the team who stormed the apartment were not security operatives.

The men were said to have been led by a fake Chief Superintendent of Police, Lawrence Ajojo, who admitted that he was engaged as a consultant by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Parading the suspects at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Garki, Abuja, the Force spokesman, Frank Mba, said the suspects involved in the criminal act came from different professional backgrounds.

Ajojo told journalists that he was not a police officer, adding that he was a consultant to the AGF.

“I am not an officer of the Nigeria Police but a consultant for the AGF; he did not send us to raid Mrs Odili’s house,” he stated.

A complement of security operatives had stormed Justice Odili’s Maitama residence on the strength of a purported tip by a whistleblower, Aliyu Umar, who claimed to have observed suspicious activities at the Supreme Court Justice’s residence.

Following an order by Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna, who approved the search warrant by a body identified as the Joint Panel Recovery unit in the Ministry of Justice, on October 29, 2021, the security operatives besieged Odili’s home but they were reportedly resisted.

The magistrate later revoked the order, saying he was misled. The incident sparked an outrage with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, absolving his office of involvement in the operation.

The police leadership also said it was not aware of the raid.

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Thursday, distanced himself from the confessions of a suspect paraded by the police in connection with the attack on the residence of Justice Mary Odili.

The AGF called on the suspect to produce evidence of contractual agreement between them, the terms of references for the alleged consultancy service and when he was engaged.

The Special Assistant to Malami (Media and Public Relations), Dr. Umar Gwandu, made the clarification in a statement issued in Abuja.

He said, “The attention of the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to a confession of a suspect during interrogation in the investigation of the recent invasion of the residence of the highly respected Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Peter Odili.

“With all the competent, high level professionals and capable human resources available at the disposal of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, it only takes the imagination of the evil minds to assume or think that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will descend so low to engaging a quack or fake police officer to serve as his consultant.

“This is a case of a drowning man scavenging for a dying partner. We are happy to note that investigation has commenced to unravel the circumstances and personalities behind the invasion and sponsored campaign of calumny against the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

“It is our desire and we hope that the investigation would also disclose those after the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, those dragging his personality, his name and his exalted office in the dirty politics of disrepute.

“This is an orchestrated attempt to stir unnecessary controversies and public apprehension. “We asked the suspect to present documents of engagements where he worked as a consultant to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, whether in past or now.

“Consultant for what? Which activity or assignment? When was he engaged? What were the terms of references for the alleged consultancy service? When was he engaged? Where was he engaged? Which worked has he executed for the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and the Ministry of Justice? For what duration? And for how much?

“We boldly and unequivocally challenge the fake consultant/police officer to come out with answers or responses to these questions to the general public.

“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice superintends over and respects the rule of law and will not do anything to undermine the sanctity of his office and that of the entire judiciary and Justice sector.”