From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Condemnation has continued to trail the weekend raid of the Abuja residence of the Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Peter Odili by security agencies as concerned Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) of South eastern extraction described the action as an attempt to emasculate the judiciary.
The senior lawyers, who expressed worry over the development called on President Muhammadu Buhari,to investigate all security agencies and other persons who may have played a role in the invasion.
The group further described the raid as an attack on the intergrity and independence of the entire judiciary.
This was contained in a joint Statement signed by Prof. Illochi Okafor (SAN), Etigwe Uwa (SAN) and Chijioke Okoli (SAN),on behalf of the group.
The statement reads: Concerned Senior Advocate of Nigeria of South Eastern extration condemn in strong terms the unlawful raid on October 29, 2021, of the residence of Hon justice Mary Peter Odili, the second most senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The raid said to have been orchestrated by some security agencies, is yet another frontal attack on the independence and integrity of the Judiciary.We are worried that this event is part of a series of events aimed at systematically intimidating and emasculating the Judiciary .
Similar raids by the EFCC, the DSS and other security operatives on the premises of Justices of the Supreme Court in 2016, and residence of some Judges of the Federal High Court, in Abuja. Despite these security agencies publicly stating the raids were on mistaken identity of the premises, no one has been arrested and prosecuted for such brash criminal attack on the judiciary.