Police investigating controversial invasion of Justice Odili's home

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has ordered an investigation into the controversial raid on the home of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili.

Security operatives unsuccessfully tried to gain access to her Abuja residence on Friday, October 29, 2021, armed with a search warrant that was later revoked by a Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyanna, who said he was misled.

The warrant request had concealed the identity of the target whom a whistleblower had accused of carrying out illegal activities at the residence.

The warrant was requested by Lawrence Ajodo, a Chief Superintendent of Police attached to the Assets Recovery Investigation Team under the Ministry of Justice.

The invasion has been widely criticised, including by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and federal lawmakers who have demanded an investigation.

Police spokesperson, Frank Mba, said in a statement on Monday, November 1, that the 'unfortunate and unacceptable' assignment was never approved by the leadership of the Force.

Baba directed the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) to carry out a thorough investigation, promising to bring all indicted officials to book.

"The IGP assured that the details of Police investigations would be made public on conclusion of investigations," Mba said in Monday's statement.

The Police boss also ordered additional security around Justice Odili's residence to prevent a recurrence.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has distanced himself from knowledge of the warrant request or the raid.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also denied that its agents were involved as initially reported.