The Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has slammed the Nigerian government over the siege on the home of a Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili, by law enforcement agents.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, the group said that the siege on Justice Odili’s home is an assault on several institutions like womanhood, judiciary, democracy, amongst others.

The group further noted that the action by the law enforcement agents are ‘globally unacceptable for the executive to invade the home of a senior member of the judicial arm.’

The statement read in part, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide joins millions of Nigerians in condemning the invasion of the privacy of Justice Mary Odili, Justice of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We are pained that Nigeria is in the news, most of the time, for the wrong reasons. It is ethically reprehensible and globally unacceptable for the executive to invade the home of a senior member of the judicial arm of the government, in this case, a Supreme Court Judge.”

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Ohaneze stressed that the action is an assault on womanhood, judiciary and democracy.

“It is simply a mockery of democracy and a foul miasma on the image of Nigeria. The siege on her home is an assault on several institutions; womanhood, judiciary, democracy, Rule of Law, civil society and indeed all facets of humanity,” the statement read.

The group demanded that the federal government makes an unreserved apology to Justice Odili.

“Justice Mary Odili is one of the few Judges in Nigeria with clean and intimidating credentials. All the schools she attended still post her brilliant performances. In spite of her distinctive background as the daughter of a prominent lawyer and traditional ruler, she has remained humble and hardworking; an upright moral edifice who resisted all the lucre that the Office of the First Lady provided during the 8 years the husband, Dr Peter Odili, served as the governor of Rivers State.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo, therefore, demands that an unreserved apology should be rendered to the highly revered Justice of the Supreme Court; and an assurance that such an embarrassment will never be contemplated.”