Court orders arrest of Ondo commissioner for assaulting magistrate

A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Akure on Wednesday ordered the arrest and remand of the Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Seun Osamaye, for allegedly assaulting a Chief Magistrate, Temitope Alphonso.

The commissioner was charged with assault.

The prosecutor, Inspector Suleiman Adebayo, alleged that the assault occurred at the premises of the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs, Igbatoro road, Alagbaka, while 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 judgement delivered by the chief magistrate which was not favourable to the commissioner.

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Alphonso, who was represented by her counsel, A.K Adewusi, informed the court that she was receiving medical treatment at an hospital in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo 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 did not include key details such as the date and time of admission.

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

He, therefore, adjourned the case until January 12, 2026, for further hearing.

The Star