The attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, has disowned a fake chief superintendent of police, Lawrence Ajodo and 13 other persons paraded by the police over the siege to the Abuja residence of a Supreme Court judge, Justice Mary Odili on October 29, 2021
He denied knowing or engaging at any time, anyone of them for the criminal act.
Ajodo, who allegedly led the team of invaders, had during interrogation confessed to be Malami’s consultant.
Purporting to be a chief superintendent of police, Ajodo had applied to the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, for a search warrant which the invading security operatives had tried to execute at Odili’s home on Imo Street, Maitama, Abuja, on October 29.
He claimed in the court’s document to be acting on behalf of a joint team on assets recovery allegedly being coordinated by Malami-led federal ministry of justice.
The application, according to him, was necessitated by a whistleblower’s information giving a hint of alleged criminal activities taking place in the home of Odili, who is the wife of a former governor of Rivers State.
Malami, the inspector-general of police, Mr. Usman Baba, as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the State Security Service (SSS), separately distanced themselves from the operation.
But Ajodo insisted he worked for Malami while being paraded by the police in Abuja on Thursday.
“I am not an officer of the Nigeria Police but a consultant for the AGF,” he claimed.”
Reacting to the confession on Thursday, Malami, in a statement by his spokesperson, Mr. Umar Gwandu, described Ajodo’s claim as “a case of a drowning man scavenging for a dying partner.”
“The attention of the Office of the honourable attorney general of the federation and minister of justice has been drawn to a confession of a suspect during interrogation in the investigation of the recent invasion of the residence of the highly respected Justice of the Supreme Court; Justice Mary Peter Odili.
“With all the competent, high level professionals and capable human resources available at the disposal of the honourable attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, it only takes the imagination of the evil minds to assume or think that the honourable attorney general of the federation and minister of justice will descend so low to engaging a quack or fake police officer to serve as his consultant.
“This is a case of a drowning man scavenging for a dying partner,” he said.
Malami said he could not have engaged the services of a “fake” police officer when the justice ministry boasts about “high level professionals and capable human resources” and challenged Ajodo to present evidence of engagement as a “consultant” by the office of the AGF.
“Consultant for what? Which activity or assignment? When was he engaged? What were the terms of references for the alleged consultancy service? When was he engaged? Where was he engaged? Which work has he executed for the honourable attorney general of the federation and the ministry of justice? For what duration? And for how much?
“We boldly and unequivocally challenge the fake consultant/police officer to come out with answers or responses to these questions to the general public.
“The honourable attorney general of the federation and minister of justice superintends over and respects the rule of law who will not do anything to undermine the sanctity of his office and that entire judiciary and Justice sector,” he added.
