A Niger Delta group, South-South Elders Forum has called on President Muhammadu Buhari as the head of the executive arm of government to apologize to the family of Justice Mary Odili, Justice of the Supreme Court, JSC, over the invasion of her Abuja residence at the weekend by security.
The group also said that the invasion was an attempt by the executive to intimidate another arm of government, the judiciary.
It also noted that It was the second time that attempt was made to humiliate a highly placed judicial officer from the Niger Delta region, adding that the invasion of Justice Mary Odili’s family was an affront to the South-South people.
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A statement issued by His Highness Anabs Sara-Igbe, the National Coordinator of the South-South Elders Forum, said the way things were goìng in the country, the Southern Nigerian and the Niger Delta Region will no longer believe that they belong to Nigeria as a country
The statement read: “On behalf of the Elders and People of the Niger Delta Region, we condemn the invasion of the Abuja residence of His Excellency Sir (Dr.) Peter Odili & Hon. Justice Mary Odili JSC.
Nigeria operates a democracy which pillars stand on the separation of power, hence, no one arm should victimize or intimidate the other arm.
“The situation whereby the Executive Arm, that has not been able to purge itself of corruption and that is rather condoning it, can not and do not have the moral right to harsh, intimidate & bully the other arms of government n the name of fighting corruption.
“We perceive this action of the Executive as a deliberate move to intimidate the Judiciary officers from the Southern Nigeria extraction.
Just like in the case of terrorism in Nigeria, the present administration was quick in declaring IPOB as a terrorist body but deliberately refused to name the actual terrorist in North Nigeria but rather called or brand them as bandits.
“The way things are goìng in this Country, the Southern Nigerian and indeed the Niger Delta Region will no longer believe that we belong to Nigeria as our Country
.
“Therefore, Mr. President should come out bold to address the Nation to affirm his inaugural speech of 27th May 2015 “I am for everybody and I belong to nobody” otherwise, we shall stand to be corrected that Mr. President is not living up to his word.
“Enough of this ill-treatment given to the leaders of the Niger Delta Region and Southern Nigeria.
“Mr. President as the head of the Federal Republic Government and the Executive arm of the Nigerian State should apologize to His Excellency (Sir) Dr. Peter Odili “the former Governor of Rivers State” and his wife Hon. Justice Mary Odili JSC, who is the second-highest Judiciary Officer in the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“This is the second time this administration has humiliated senior Judiciary officers from the Niger Delta Region. First, it was the former Chief Justice of Nigeria Hon. Justice Walter Onneghen, which residence was raided in January 2019 and now Hon. Justice Mary Odili the second-highest-ranking Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”
The statement said that the people of Niger Delta were not happy with what happened in the country particularly as it affects the people of the Niger Delta Region.
“Finally, the Federal Government under President Buhari should not continue to do things that will slide the country into anarchy, the disunity, and disintegration of the country,” it added