A magistrate’s court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has ordered the arrest and remand of Seun Osamaye, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, over the alleged assault of a chief magistrate, Temitope Alphonso.
Gatekeepers News reports that the court order followed a criminal charge filed by the police, accusing the commissioner of assault. The incident was said to have taken place at the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs, where the magistrate was on an official assignment.
According to court documents, the commissioner allegedly verbally abused and physically attacked the chief magistrate during the visit.
The alleged incident was said to be linked to a court judgment earlier delivered by the magistrate, which the commissioner reportedly considered unfavourable.
The case came up for hearing on Wednesday, but the commissioner was absent from court. She was represented by her counsel, A.K. Adewusi, who informed the court that his client was receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area of the state.
The defence counsel requested a brief stand-down to enable him present medical evidence to support the claim. The court granted the request, after which a medical report was tendered.
However, the prosecutor, Suleiman Adebayo, objected to the document, questioning its credibility. In his ruling, the magistrate, Damilola Sekoni, rejected the medical report, stating that it did not show that the commissioner was admitted to the hospital or medically unfit to appear in court.
He also noted that the document lacked essential details such as the date and time of admission. The magistrate ruled that the commissioner showed disregard for the authority of the court and ordered her arrest and remand in a correctional facility.
The case was subsequently adjourned till January 12 for further hearing.
