How I aborted unlawful search of Justice Odili’s residence, by witness
An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Madaki Chidawa, yesterday, in Abuja, told the Federal High Court how he aborted an unlawful search of the residence of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Peter Odili, on October 19, last year.
He gave evidence in the trial of 15 persons, including a housewife, accused of perpetrating the unlawful act at No. 7, Imo Rivers Street, the Maitama official residence of Odili.
At the trial, kick-started by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Chidawa told Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha that the 15 defendants, led by a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Lawrence Ajodo, stormed the house in a fearful manner around 6:00 p.m. on October 19.
Upon their arrival, the witness said the defendants insisted they wanted to execute a search warrant on the residence, being a team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Assets Recovery Panel attached to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
He told the court that he demanded for the search warrant. And having gone through it, he discovered the warrant, signed by a chief magistrate, was addressed to No 9, Imo Crescent, Abuja.
Chidawa said he resisted execution of the warrant, since Odili’s residence is No 7, Imo Rivers Street. He said, thereafter, he ran to Odili, who made some phone calls that eventually aborted the unlawful mission of the defendants.
He said upon realising the mission had been aborted, Ajodo, who allegedly displayed a suspicious identity card of the Federal Ministry of Justice, threatened to deal with him when he returns with reinforcement, but he never came back.
Justice Maha adjourned till March 1, 2022 for further trial.
