N30m Garnishee Order: Court Targets Ondo Govt Funds In 16 Banks

Ondo State High Court in Akure has issued a garnishee order nisi, freezing Ondo State government funds in 16 commercial banks to enforce a N30 million judgment debt linked to a 2021 shooting by Amotekun operatives.

Justice Omolara Adejumo granted the order following an ex parte application by Tope Temokun Chambers, signed by Tope Temokun.

The firm represents Mr. Oluwasegun Oluwarotimi, a commercial motorcyclist who lost his leg after being shot in August 2021 by Amotekun Corps members.

The 2023 High Court judgment awarded Oluwarotimi N30 million in damages for his grievous injuries.
The Ondo State Government and Amotekun appealed, but the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, struck out the appeal in November 2024 for being incompetent, making the ruling final.

At the garnishee hearing, counsel A.E. Adegoroye pressed the court to direct banks to seize the sum from any state-controlled accounts, including those of agencies.

Justice Adejumo complied, ordering the banks and their Akure branch managers to attach the funds, file compliance returns, and appear to contest the order nisi, which was subsequently made absolute.

Affected banks are Wema, Providus, Globus, Fidelity, Zenith, First Bank, UBA, Access, Keystone, Ecobank, GTBank, FCMB, Sterling, Stanbic IBTC, Polaris, and Premium Trust.

Reacting, Tope Temokun Chambers hailed the ruling and vowed to enforce it fully.

“This father and breadwinner deserves justice after his life was shattered,” the firm stated.

It urged the state to honour court judgments swiftly, especially for vulnerable citizens harmed by security agencies, rather than draining public funds on appeals.