Court orders Ondo monarch, CP, others, to pay N2million to hunters for unlawful arrest

By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure

Justice Peter Ikujuni of the Ondo State High Court, sitting in Ondo town, has ordered the traditional ruler of Ile-Oluji in Ile-Oluji/Oke Igbo Local Government Area of the state, Julius Adetimehin, the state Commissioner of Police and five others to pay a sum of N2million to the members of the Ujamas Professional Hunters for unlawfully arresting the latter.

Other defendants in the case are Sam Olawoyin (who was a Divisional Police Officer of Ile Oluji Division), Alayande Joseph, Omobamidele Omotayo, Wale Fadare and Akinsooto Samuel.

The hunters had challenged, in court, the arrest and detention of some of their members, who were arrested during one of their celebrations, by the police, allegedly on the order of the monarch.

According to them, after spending about five days in police custody, the arrested hunters were charged to an Ondo State a magistrate court sitting in Ondo town for disturbing the peace of the community. The case was later referred to a Chief Magistrate Court in Ile-Oluji for trial.

It was gathered that the court however struck out the case against the hunters for lack of merit.

After getting favourable judgement from the court, the association of hunters later sued the Ile Oluji monarch, the police, and other defendants, at the state High Court, Ondo town for illegal detention and illegal interference.

After series of arguments from both the plaintiff’s counsel and the defence’s counsel, the court, which was president over by Justice Ikujuni, declared that the arrest and detention of the claimants was unlawful.

He asked the defendants to pay the sum of N2million to the claimants as compensation for their unlawful arrest and their detention instead of N50million they demanded.