The Nigeria Police Force, on Wednesday, arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, 15 persons it alleged were involved in the unlawful invasion of the official residence of a Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili.
Police, in an 18-count amended charge it filed on December 14, alleged that the Defendants, attempted to execute a bogus search warrant they surreptitiously obtained from an Abuja Chief Magistrate, at Justice Odili’s residence situated at No 7 Imo River Street, Maitama, Abuja.
It told the court that the Defendants while claiming to be officials of a non-existent Assets Recovery Unit under the Federal Ministry of Justice, invaded Justice Odili’s home with the intent to extort and harass members of her household.
It said the defendants, armed with several forged documents and identification cards, claimed that they acted on the strength of a tip-off by a purported whistleblower, Aliyu Umar Ibrahim.
The said whistleblower, Umar, was among those that were docked before the court on Wednesday.
Also cited as defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/436/2021, included an Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, Mohammed Yahaya, Adjodo Lawrence (Aka Ola Ojo), Micheal Diete-spiff, two legal practitioners, Alex Onyekwuru and Igwe Ernest, as well as a journalist, Stanley Nkwazema.
Others are; Bayero Lawal (aka director of EFCC), Hajiya Maimuna Maishanu, Ayodele Akindipe (Aka Herbalist), Yusuf Adaiu (aka godson to Peter Odili), Bashir Musa, Shehu Jibo, Abdulahi Adamu, and Abdulahi Usman who was identified as an Immigration officer.
Police told the court that five other suspects identified as Sani Bala, Godwin Lucas, Solomon Bagudu, Austin and Michael, who were involved in the attempt to raid Justice Odili’s home on October 29, are currently at large.
Meanwhile, the 15 defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to them, even as Police lawyer, CSP Matthew Amosun, applied for a trial date and for them to be remanded in a Correctional Centre.
However, the Defendants, through their respective lawyers, prayed the court to release them on bail in liberal terms, pending the determination of the case against them.
Though the Prosecution counsel said he was not opposed to the Defendants’ request for bail, he however urged the court to impose very stringent conditions.
After the court stood down the matter for over two hours, trial Justice Nkeonye Maha, in a ruling she delivered around 8:48pm, said she found no reason not to admit the Defendants to bail.
Consequently, she gave bail to 13 of the Defendants in the sum of N5million each with two sureties in the like sum.
The court ordered that one of the sureties must be a responsible citizen that owns a landed property in Abuja not below the bail sum.
She held that the second surety must be gainfully employed in Abuja and must not only show evidence of three years tax payment, but also depose to an affidavit of means.
The court further seized international passports of all the Defendants.
The court noted that whereas the 11th Defendant made an oral application for bail, the 13th Defendant had no legal representation.
While the court remanded 14 of them at the Nigerian Correctional Service in Kuje, the 7th Defendant who is a female, was remanded at Suleja Correctional Center, pending the fulfilment of all their bail conditions.
The case was subsequently adjourned to January 17 for trial.