How I Aborted Unlawful Search of Justice Odili’s Abuja House – Police Chief Tells Court

 

The trial of 15 persons who tried to invade the Abuja residence of the Supreme Court Justice, Mary Peter Odili on October 29 last year has commenced.

 

An Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, Madaki Chidawa, on Monday, in Abuja narrated to the Federal High Court how he aborted the unlawful invasion.

 

He gave evidence 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.

 

At the trial kick-started by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, ASP Chidawa told Justice Nkeonye Evelyn 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 of October 29.

 

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 for 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.

 

Meanwhile, further trial has been adjourned to March 1, 2022 by Justice Maha.