The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has reacted to the invasion of the residence of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
HURIWA said EFCC’s lie about the exercise as disclosed by a report from the chief magistrate court makes the commission a tool for political witch-hunt.
Gun-wielding security operatives, suspected to be EFCC operatives, had invaded Justice Odili’s residence in Maitama, Abuja.
But, the anti-graft agency denied reports that its operatives were behind the raid.
Amid the reports, a Chief Magistrates’ Court had revoked a search warrant granted to the Joint Panel Recovery unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice to search the home of Odili.
However, HURIWA condemned the Ministry of Justice for lying to the chief magistrate in Abuja to issue a search warrant at the home of the revered jurist of the highest court in the land.
The rights group wondered why the Federal Government has continued to embarrass, harass, intimidate and torture justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria by using armed security forces to invade their privacy with the aim of getting them to become afraid and to do the bidding of the executive arm of government.
HURIWA stated this in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf.
The rights group said it was ‘unfortunate that the Buhari’s administration has become a full-blown dictatorship going by the patterns of horrendous attacks of persons perceived as not pliable or amenable to be used as instruments of vendetta and political witch hunt.’
‘Odili may have been targeted not just for being the wife of a prominent elder of the main opposition political party of the Peoples Democratic Party but most likely because of her consistency in giving sound, qualitative, merit and law-based judgments at the Supreme Court of Nigeria particularly in some cases that the ruling All Progressive Congress may have vested interest.’
The raiding of Justice Odili’s home made headlines a few days back when the EFCC and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami denied playing a part in the raid.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
