Odili: Rivers Alleges Assassination Attempt; Issues 48 Hours Ultimatum

By Charles Igbo

The Rivers State Government and its people have alleged an assassination attempt on a Justice of the Supreme Court, Mary Peter-Odili.

They have, therefore, alerted  the world to take note, and warned that the Federal Government should be held responsible if anything untoward happens to her, her husband, Dr Peter Odili, or any of their children.

They have, also, given the FG a 48-hour ultimatum to unmask those behind the incident.

In the evening of Friday, October 29, security men, allegedly, numbering about 50, had inexplicably invaded Justice Peter-Odili’s Abuja home to execute a search warrant authorised by a Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyanna.

The five-hour siege provoked outrage nationwide, and caused an international embarrassment for Nigeria.

Magistrate Iyanna revoked the search warrant later, pleading that he was deceived into granting it.

The initial report was that the security agents were made up of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Police and the Department of State Security Services, and were detailed from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN. The story was that the team operates under Malami’s supervision.

A twist was, however, added to it when Malami denied knowledge of the invasion and ordered a probe. To worsen the situation, both the DSS and the EFCC, also, denied carrying out any such operation. The only Security branch mentioned, which has not reacted is the Police.

However, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who rushed to Justice Peter-Odili’s home as soon as he heard of the incident, has, on behalf of the Government and people of the State, alleged that the incident was a straight-up assassination attempt.

Wike spoke on Sunday at a Press Conference at the Government House Rivers, attended by the Elders of the State who, themselves, worried about the incident. And he is pointing accusing fingers at the Federal Government.

He said that from recent events, the Odilis seem to be a target of sinister moves, and warned that should anything happen to any of the Odilis, the Federal Government should be held solely responsible.

Dr Peter Odili was a two-term Governor of Rivers State, while his wife, Justice Peter-Odili is the second highest Justice of the Supreme Court, just behind the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Wike: “We are telling the world, if anything happens to the family of Dr Peter Odili, the Federal Government should be held accountable because they have shown that there is something they are about  carrying out.

“If anything happens to my Lord, Justice Mary Odili, the husband and the children, the Federal Court should be held responsible.

“That is the position of the Rivers State Government and Rivers people because enough is enough!

“I will think that it is an attempt to assassinate Justice Mary Odili and the husband and the members of the family because there are no two ways about it.

“And if they had succeeded, all the Federal Government would have told us is we would get to the root of the matter. That’s the normal language. Then, after one or two weeks, everybody will be quiet.

“But this will not be the same because this is an assassination attempt.”

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in a statement signed by its President, Olumide Akpata, says it has taken up the case, and would get to its root.”