From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
An Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP, Madaki Chidawa, on Monday told a Federal High Court in Abuja, how he aborted the unlawful search of the Abuja residence of the Supreme Court Justice, Mary Peter Odili on October 19 last year.
ASP Chidawa was testifying in the trial of 15 persons including a housewife accused of perpetrating the unlawful act at No, 7, Imo Rivers Street, Maitama official residence of the apex court Justice.
The witness told Justice Nkeonye Maha that the 15 defendants led by a Chief Superintendent of Police CSP Lawrence Ajodo stormed the house in a fearful manner around 6 pm on October 19.
On arrival, the witness said that the defendants vehemently demanded to execute a search warrant on the house as a team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC Assets Recovery Panel attached to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
He told the court that he demanded the search warrant and upon going through, he discovered the search warrant signed by a Chief Magistrate was addressed to No 9, Imo Crescent, Abuja.
ASP Chidawa explained that he used the wrong address on the search warrant to resist the execution of the warrant since the house of Justice Mary Peter Odili is No 7, Imo Rivers Street.
The witness further informed the court that he subsequently ran to Justice Mary Odili who promptly made some phone calls that eventually nailed and aborted the unlawful mission of the defendants.
He said that upon realising that the mission had been aborted, CSP Lawrence Ajodo who allegedly paraded a suspicious identity card of the Federal Ministry of Justice then threatened to deal with him when they come back with reinforcement but that the defendants never returned.
Trial has been adjourned to March 1, 2022, by Justice Maha.
