Odili Home Invasion: We Will Soon Release Our Findings

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 said that investigation is still ongoing regarding the invasion of the home of the Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili.

The NBA President, Olumide Akpata, had 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.

Ubani, in an interview with the NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Newspaper, said so far there have been cooperation from various individuals contacted in the course of the investigation except the police.

“I am yet to give NBA the full report because I am yet to get the police side but you would get that soon. All the other personnel were very interesting and they wanted to cooperate: the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the victim Mrs Odili, the Attorney General himself, the magistrate that was involved and then the CJ of FCT.” Ubani said

He explained that he does not know the reason why police is refusing to cooperate but “the good news is that they have arraigned those guys.”

He added, “I don’t want to say that they have something to hide but I believe that as a public institution they should have allowed NBA to have access to them and those people who were allegedly arrested.”

When asked whether there’s plan to invoke the Freedom of Information Act, Ubani said no such plan because he does not want delay in the investigation process and will invoke the FOI Act when all alternatives fail.

“I don’t want anything that would delay this process. We strategized and we agreed that there are other means to reach out, to get the information needed. But if the information I have or I would receive from the source we are going to depend upon is not sufficient, then we can invoke. But, for now, let us make do with whatever we can get in order to complete my report. That is what I want to say.” he said

When asked whether he has some worries with the findings so far, Ubani said no. He in fact expressed delight with the progress so far and insisted that his worries and findings will be made known to the NBA only.

He said, “I won’t like to divulge my worries and findings because the first constituency that I would present my findings to would be the Nigeria Bar Association. But, I am happy with the progress of the report and NBA is happy with the role so far by setting up a one-man panel rather than relying on what is written on social media. Meeting the person one-on-one and asking direct questions is most preferable. You can now look at all the affidavit that was sworn. You know materials were placed before the Magistrate and he acted on them. So, we would know whether it was a sufficient material or there was a bit of carelessness. So, these are issues we need to look at critically in the report.”

The NBA-SPIDEL boss further expressed concern with the refusal of the police to cooperate with him.

He said, “Police would be angry that you are even coming to get the correct information. From their body language, they would never want you to get the correct information because sometimes the way we operate in this part of the world is that we love things done in secrecy and use it to bamboozle people and all that. If not this, why won’t the police cooperate with one of the highest professional bodies in the country in terms of membership? NBA is the highest pressure group in the country apart from the Nigerian Labour Congress. We have over 160,000 lawyers and they are interested in the judiciary and that is their calling. We defend the judiciary. It was NBA that set up the panel.”

Ubani said he will interact with the suspects but not directly.

“Yes, I will certainly but not necessarily directly because they have put down things. My second strategy is that after getting the information and it is not sufficient, then I can now know what to do. But for now we have the strategy to hear from those people who have been arrested.” he said

He however did not disclose when the investigation will be concluded.

“I don’t want to give a timeline. Just allow me to use the word that it is going to be very soon. NBA has a major interest in this issue. You know the role of NBA in the judiciary. We don’t want a judiciary that is intimidated but one operating under democracy. A judiciary that is independent will bring out the best. We don’t want this invasion here and there.” he said