NBA-NEC Emergency Meeting: AGF Office Has No Hand In Raid Of Odili JSC’s House

The former 1st Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association and current Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, Mr. Monday Ubani, has exonerated the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on its involvement in the in the October 29 raid on the Maitama, Abuja, residence of a judge of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili.

Consequent upon the raid, the NBA President, Olumide Akpata, on November 5, 2021 appointed Monday Ubani to serve as the NBA’s special investigator to unmask those behind the attack on Odili’s home and to ensure that these individuals are made to face the law.

In a report being presented before the ongoing emergency meeting of the NBA National Executive Council, Ubani said the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation has no hand in the raid.

“As stated earlier, my mandate included interfacing with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN whose Ministry was alleged to have authorised the invasion. It is recalled that ACP Emmanuel Ajodo who led the illegal operation was alleged to be working for an Asset Recovery Unit domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Justice. The Minister was more than willing to tell us his own side of the story.

“The truth of the matter is that all accusing fingers initially pointed at the Minister when the invasion occurred, moreso as the news media reported that the culprits were from the Federal Ministry of Justice. This notion becomes more compelling when it is realized that the Honourable Attorney General admitted that he authorized the invasion of judges’ homes in 2016. It was argued that if he authorised the invasion of 2016, then he must have authorised this latest raid by persons allegedly linked to the Ministry of Justice which he heads. The Minister therefore needed to offer elaborate explanation to exculpate himself and his office from the latest invasion.”

According to Ubani, Malami denied the fake police officer who allegedly consulted for the AGF office and also denied the existence of any joint recovery panel.

“The Honourable Attorney General started by stating that there is a unit in his ministry called Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Committee established sometime in 2019 pursuant to the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Committee Regulation 2019. It is an inter-ministerial committee comprising of representatives from ministries, departments and agencies of Government. The committee coordinates the asset recovery and management system on properties of the Federal Government of Nigeria both locally and internationally. If the committee receives any information about illicit property or money of the Federal Government hidden anywhere, the Ministry will forward the information to the appropriate security agencies or law firms to handle. The committee, according to him, does not on its own handle any sting operation. He therefore disassociated the Ministry from any alleged Ghost Account, Local Whistle-blower, Joint Panel Recovery Unit or similar name the perpetrators may have called themselves.

“Mr. Malami also denied signing the Identity card of the said CSP Lawrence Ajodo. He stated that the Identity cards of those who work in the Ministry of Justice are signed by the Director of Human Resources or his delegate and not by him. He denied that any unit in his ministry work with the Nigerian Police officers especially in the way and manner the present invasion took place. He denied knowing Lawrence Ajodo or having any private or official dealings with him. He challenged Lawrence Ajodo to produce any letter given to him officially either by himself or any of his subordinates to carry out any official duty on the Ministry’s behalf.” Ubani’s report further reads