The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) criticised the raid on Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili’s home last week and called for the perpetrators of the act to be prosecuted.
This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by Mr Tony Ojukwu, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC and Mrs Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the Commission.
They also said the Justice deserves an apology from those responsible for the act.
What they said
”The perpetrators must therefore be made to account for their professional misconduct by arresting them and prosecuting them.
”She also deserves a public apology from those responsible for their professional misconduct.
“These are the only deterrents that can forestall future desecration of the rights to privacy, integrity of the person, residence and office of our judicial officers especially at that level,” he said.
The NHRC also said that Nigeria’s judiciary is an important arm of the government that should not be ridiculed under any circumstance and by inexperienced law enforcement agents, citing that the independence of the judiciary must be respected at all times.
”Time has come to punish this kind of professional misconduct by erring law enforcement officers to forestall total destruction of the integrity of judicial offices and the Judiciary.
”This should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians in the interest of our nascent democracy, independence of the judiciary and respect for human rights and rule of Law,” Ojukwu stated.
In case you missed it
Nairametrics reported earlier that the House of Reps Committee on Judiciary slammed the alleged raid on Justice Mary Odili’s home by security operatives and called for investigations to unravel the persons behind the act.
Committee Chairman, Rep. Luke Onofiok (PDP-Akwa Ibom) said, “It is mind-boggling that at dusk on Oct. 29, 2021, the Judiciary was once again exposed to public opprobrium.
“This is due to the uncanny manner in which the residence of Justice Mary Peter-Odili of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, was invaded by law enforcement officials, purportedly on an assignment to execute a search warrant, issued by a Magistrate.”
Nairametrics also reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that it did not raid the home of Justice Mary Odili, as earlier reported by the media.
