The Federal Government on Wednesday produced 15 suspected invaders of the Supreme Court judge, Mary Odili, for arraignment at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The suspects were led into Court 11 by the operatives of the Nigerian Police Force from the Force headquarters at about 1:40 pm for arraignment before Justice Nkeonye Maha.
The police high command had on November 11, paraded the 15 suspects over the invasion of the Abuja residence of Mary Odili, describing them as impostors unknown to any of the nation’s security forces.
Parading the suspects at the Force headquarters annex, Abuja, spokesman, Frank Mba, said that the 15 suspects include a fake Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Lawrence Ajojo.
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He said the suspects and seven others at large, conspired to raid the residence following information that the Supreme Court judge was keeping a large sum of money in foreign currencies.
According to Mba, the seven suspects still at large include two soldiers. He said the suspects involved in the criminal acts came from different professional backgrounds such as journalism, banking, law enforcement, and law.
He said the syndicates, including one Stanley Nkwazema, a journalist, were loose cannons and document forgers who were on their own and not hired by any personnel of the ministry of Justice.
Justice Odili’s residence at 7, Imo Street, Maitama, Abuja, was, on October 29, invaded by armed security operatives on the grounds of an alleged tip-off by a whistle-blower, one Aliyu Umar, who claimed to have observed suspicious activities at the residence.
Chief magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna was said to have approved a search warrant by a body identified as the Joint Panel Recovery Unit in the ministry of justice, leading to the invasion of Odili’s home.
The magistrate later revoked the order, saying he was misled while the police and other security agencies also said they were not aware of the raid.
The attorney-general of the federation Abubakar Malami, and the inspector-general of police, Usman Baba, had separately denied authorising the raid or knowledge of it.
