Court Orders Ondo Commissioner’s Arrest For Assaulting Magistrate

An Akure Magistrates’ Court has ordered the arrest and remand of the Ondo State commissioner for Women Affairs, Seun Osamaye, for allegedly assaulting a Chief Magistrate, Mrs Temitope Alphonso.

The commissioner was charged with assault.

The prosecutor, Inspector Suleiman Adebayo, said the assault occurred at the premises of the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs, Igbatoro Road, Alagbaka, when the chief magistrate was on an official engagement with the ministry’s official.

In an affidavit attached to the charge, the commissioner was alleged to have verbally abused and physically assaulted the chief magistrate during the engagement.

The affidavit stated that the incident followed a judgment delivered by the chief magistrate, which was not favourable to the commissioner.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the commissioner, who her counsel, Mr A.K. Adewusi, represented, told the court that she was receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore local government area of the state.

The defence counsel requested a stand-down of the case to allow time to present evidence of the defendant’s hospitalisation.

Magistrate Damilola Sekoni stood down the matter for one and a half hours.

Upon resumption, a medical report was presented by the defence counsel.

However, the prosecuting counsel challenged the authenticity of the medical report.

In his ruling, Sekoni, rejected the medical report, describing it as “unsatisfactory”, saying that the report failed to confirm that the commissioner was on admission in the hospital or medically unfit to attend court.

He stated that the purported medical document lacked key details, such as the date and time of admission.

Citing what he described as a disregard for the court, Sekoni ordered that the commissioner be arrested and remanded to a correctional facility.

He, therefore, adjourned the case until 12th January, 2025, for further hearing.