The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a senior immigration officer, Abdullahi Usman, for his alleged role in the raid on the home of Justice Mary Odili, the second most senior judge in the country.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the immigration officer is expected to be arraigned this week alongside a journalist, banker, lawyer, a fake policeman and seven others. Altogether, about 15 suspects are expected to be taken to court this week in Abuja.
However, our correspondent learnt that the soldiers who allegedly took part in the raid have yet to be arrested.
Confirming the development to Sunday PUNCH, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said approval had been given for all the suspects to be arraigned.
“Yes, it is true. An immigration officer was also arrested. Approval has been given for all suspects to be arraigned,” Mba said.
The home of Justice Odili on Imo River Crescent in the Maitama area of Abuja was raided on October 29, 2021, by some men claiming to be members of the Joint Panel Recovery unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The men, including soldiers, embarked on the raid after obtaining a search warrant signed by a Chief Magistrate Court.
However, the court later revoked the search warrant, claiming to have been deceived by the panel.
After the fiasco, the police and arrested some of the persons involved. The police claimed the suspects were part of a crime syndicate known for doing such raids.
The team leader, one CSP Lawrence Ajodo, admitted that he was not a policeman but claimed he was a consultant for the AGF, Abubakar Malami, a claim the latter has denied.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association says it has not given up on its resolve to expose and get punished all the actors behind the October 19, 2021 invasion of the Abuja home of Justice Odili by some security agents.
The special investigator appointed by the NBA to probe the raid, Mr Monday Ubani, told Sunday PUNCH that he had made substantial progress in the probe and should submit a report to the NBA before the association’s next National Executive Council meeting in December.
Ubani said he had largely enjoyed the cooperation of the dramatis personae connected to the October 19, 2021 illegal invasion, adding that his interactions with the various actors had been revealing.
He, however, lamented that the only place he had met what appeared like a brick wall was with the police.
Ubani said the police had not obliged to his request to interact with the 14 suspects arrested and paraded by the police in relation to the invasion.
The NBA investigator said, “I have received almost 90 per cent cooperation from the dramatis personae involved that I need to interface with, except the Nigeria Police that I think will do the right thing. I have this belief that the right thing will be done; they will give the NBA access to interface with them and also interface with those people that they have arrested, in order to give a fair and balanced account of what I have been asked to do.”
The NBA President, Mr Olumide Akpata, who described the invasion of Justice Odili’s home as one attack on the judiciary too many, had vowed that the association would get to the root of the matter to ensure that those behind it are punished, so as to put a permanent stop to such an incident.
