- As Senate frowns at the invasion of Odili’s home, promises to discuss matter at plenary
By Emma Ogbuehi
Even with the global outrage that has greeted the invasion of the Abuja home of Justice Mary Odili on Friday night, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, on Monday literally exonerated both the executive and legislative arms of government over the matter.
Mary Odili is not only a fellow Justice at the Supreme Court (JSC) but also the second ranking Supreme Court Justice presently.
But notwithstanding, her Abuja residence was raided by yet to be arrested armed security operatives, thereby provoking national and international outcry.
The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters had visited the Supreme Court on Monday on their oversight functions.
Speaking during the visit, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, told Justice Tanko that the Red Chamber will investigate what happened.
READ ALSO: IGP orders FIB to investigate invasion of Justice Odili’s residence
According to him, the upper chamber will discuss the incident under matter of urgent National importance as soon as it reconvenes November 9.
His words: “We cannot pretend not to be aware of the embarrassing situation of invasion of residence of Justice Mary Odili on Friday night by security agencies. Without joining issue with anyone, we take the matter seriously, by the time, we are back to plenary session, we will discuss the matter as that of urgent national importance.”
READ ALSO: Justice Odili’s home invaded just to embarrass her, says Ozekhome
But responding to the Committee Chairman’s remarks, the CJN immediately mounted a strong defence for both the executive and judiciary by claiming that there has not been any interference whatsoever from both arms of government in the activities of the judiciary.
He further stressed that the National Assembly had not failed the judiciary especially in the area of legislative intervention.
His words: “Legislative arm of government has not failed us, there is nothing that we want that has not been granted by the lawmakers, you are doing right thing , if you see that something is going wrong with Judiciary, call our attention to it.”