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The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has distanced himself from the fake police officer who led the raid on the Abuja residence of Justice Mary Odili.
On October 29, 2021, Lawrence Ajojo, who claimed to be a Chief Superintendent of Police, had led some armed men to the residence of the judge under the guise that they had been lawfully authorised to search the place.
The incident had attracted reactions from different quarters.
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, had set up a panel to probe the incident, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
Among those nabbed over the incident were a journalist, a cleric while some persons, including soldiers, are said to be on the run.
In a statement on Thursday, Malami described Ajojo as a “drowning man scavenging for a dying partner”.
“The attention of the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to a confession of a suspect during interrogation in the investigation of the recent invasion of the residencecof the highly respected Justice of the Supreme Court; Justice Mary Peter Odili.”
“With all the competent, high-level professionals and capable human resources available at the disposal of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, it only takes the imagination of the evil minds to assume or think that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will descend so low to engaging a quack or fake police officer to serve as his consultant.
“We are happy to note that investigation has commenced to unravel the circumstances and personalities behind the invasion and sponsored campaign of calumny against the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
“It is our desire and we hope that the investigation would also disclose those after the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, those dragging his personality, his name and his exalted office in the dirty politics of disrepute. This is an orchestrated attempt to stir unnecessary controversies and Public apprehension.
“We asked the suspect to present documents of engagements where he worked as a consultant to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, whether in past or now.
Police Parade 14 invaders of Justice Odili’s home
The Nigeria police high command had earlier arrested 14 suspects who raided the home of Supreme court judge, Justice Odili.
The suspects consist of syndicates drawn from police, military, journalism and the legal profession.
Police spokesman Frank Mba, who paraded the suspects, said seven of them, including two soldiers, are at large.
He vowed that all suspects at large would be apprehended.
Mba noted that the leader of the illegal operation is a fake Chief Superintendent of Police, Lawrence Ajojo, who however claimed that he was engaged as a consultant by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
He said the criminals are loose canons and document forgers who were on their own and not hired by any personnel of the ministry of justice.
One Stanley Nkwazeme, a journalist was also part of the syndicates arrested.
Ajojo told journalists that he was not a police officer, adding that he was a consultant to the AGF.
“I am not an officer of the Nigeria Police but a consultant for the AGF; he did not send us to raid Mrs Odili’s house,” he stated.
A complement of security operatives had stormed Justice Odili’s Maitama residence on the strength of a purported tip by a whistleblower, Aliyu Umar, who claimed to have observed suspicious activities at the Supreme Court Justice’s residence.
Following an order by Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna, who approved the search warrant by a body identified as the Joint Panel Recovery unit in the Ministry of Justice, on October 29, 2021, the security operatives besieged Odili’s home but they were reportedly resisted.
The magistrate later revoked the order, saying he was misled.
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