How Safe is Justice Mary Odili, JSC?

Since some known persons invaded the residence of Justice Mary Odili, JSC, on October 29th, 2021, so many questions continue to beg for answer.
Agreed that the Police has paraded some persons as suspects, that does not obviate the need to be extremely wary of developments around this foremost jurist. Among the questions that beg for answers, the following seem particularly expedient:
First, we are told that the group that stormed the house claimed to have acted alone. In that case, what was its motive?
Second, since the magistrate that issued the warrant subsequently cancelled it, claiming that he was misled from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has the Police been able to ascertain the line of communication between the leader of the group and the ministry of Justice, with a view to pinning down culpability?
Third, though the Minister of Justice has disowned the alleged consultant, unfortunately, his integrity has been called to question in the matter. Whereas his innocence is presumed even going by extant jurisprudential practice, it is trite law that he cannot be a judge in his own case. To that extent, should the Minister of Justice not recuse himself from any further involvement in the saga until the matter is finally disposed of? In fact, should he not, as a mark of honor, take a leave of absence from his duty until the matter is resolved?

Justice Mary Odili


Fourth, against the background of previous invasion of the residence of judges, will people be wrong to conclude that what happened was a clandestine operation gone wrong?
Fifth, to disprove the fourth doubt above, should the Federal Government not institute a high-powered panel of enquiry comprising of retired jurists, eminent traditional rulers and religious leaders, retired security chiefs and highly respected private sector chiefs with a legal luminary, say from the university to investigate this serious affront on our collective safety?
Sixth, against the groundswell of public angst trailing the threat on the liberty, even life, of Justice Mary Odili, JSC, would it have been beneath the President to address the nation, especially when one of the alleged suspects has pointedly fingered, even if falsely, the chief law maker of the Federation and who, unfortunately is being mentioned, for all the wrong reasons?
Seventh, what should be done to dispel the speculation even outright accusation, that the invasion of the residence of Justice Mary Odili was not a last-ditched desperate effort to get her out of the way by those who consider her continued presence in the Supreme Court as obstacle to the realization of some sinister and unwholesome plots?
Eighth, what is the evidence that there would not be a more daring attempt to forcibly neutralize her? In short, in the face of her current travails, from both known and unknown sources, how safe is Justice Mary Odili, JSC?
Ninth, out of an abundance of caution and to raise the threshold of believability, would it not be more appropriate to allow the Nigerian Bar Association or the Body of Senior Advocates to nominate one of their members to prosecute the presumed suspects who stormed the residence of Justice Mary Odili, JSC, in broad daylight without fear of being resisted, arrested or killed?
Tenth, what is the evidence that there would not be a more daring attempt to forcibly neutralize her? In short, in the face of her current travails, from both known and unknown sources, how safe is Justice Mary Odili, JSC?
We ask these questions, not because we doubt the Police which, we must admit, has tried to be particularly transparent in recent times but out of concern for the integrity of the country’s judiciary and for the sake of the safety of Justice Mary Odili. As the saying goes, once bitten twice shy.

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