By Idowu Adebomi, Ado-Ekiti
Tension has gripped Ondo State following a dramatic legal confrontation between the judiciary and the executive, as a Magistrate Court in Akure ordered the arrest and remand of the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Seun Osamaye, over allegations of assault and intimidation.
The development has sparked widespread reactions across the state, with many observers describing the unfolding events as an unprecedented clash between two arms of government.
The crisis began after a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Alphonso, instituted legal action against the commissioner, accusing her of physically and verbally assaulting her during an official engagement at the Ministry of Women Affairs in Akure.
According to court documents, the alleged incident occurred while Magistrate Alphonso was at the ministry for an official meeting with the Permanent Secretary, in the presence of ministry officials.
The affidavit attached to the charge alleged that the confrontation followed a judgment earlier delivered by the magistrate, which was said to be unfavourable to the commissioner.
In her sworn statement, Magistrate Alphonso accused Dr. Osamaye of verbally abusing and threatening her, allegedly boasting of her influence and issuing dire warnings.
Part of the affidavit read: “When I asked her to stop cursing, the defendant told me to shut up and said I was just a mere Magistrate, adding that even the Chief Judge of Ondo State cannot open his mouth when she is talking.
“She warned me to watch my back, claiming she had all the apparatus to make me go missing if I was not careful. She beat her chest while making the threat and stated that by the time she was finished with me, the Governor of Ondo State would not be able to rescue me, let alone the Chief Judge.”
The matter came up before another Magistrate, Mr. Damilola Sekoni, at the Akure Magistrate Court on Tuesday. However, the commissioner failed to appear in court. Her counsel, Barrister Adewusi, informed the court that his client was undergoing medical treatment at a hospital in Ilara-Mokin and requested a brief adjournment to enable him present evidence of her hospitalization.
The court granted a one-and-a-half-hour stand-down. Upon resumption, the defence tendered a medical report, but the prosecution objected, challenging the authenticity of the document.
In his ruling, Magistrate Sekoni described the medical report as unsatisfactory, noting that it lacked critical details such as the date and time of admission. He questioned whether the document was hastily prepared or possibly forged.
Citing what he described as the commissioner’s alleged disregard for the authority of the court, Magistrate Sekoni ordered her immediate arrest and remand in prison custody.
The case was subsequently adjourned to January 12 for further hearing.
The court order has reportedly triggered an uneasy calm and growing discontent among top government officials in the state, as concerns mount over the implications of the standoff between the executive and the judiciary.
