By Our Reporter
A Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has ordered the arrest of the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Seun Osamaye, over an alleged assault on a Chief Magistrate, Mrs Temitope Alphonso.
The order followed the commissioner’s failure to appear in court to answer charges bordering on assault, threat to life and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
According to the charge before the court, the alleged incident occurred at the premises of the Ministry of Women Affairs while Chief Magistrate Alphonso was on an official engagement with the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, in the presence of staff members.
In an affidavit attached to the charge, the magistrate alleged that the confrontation arose after she delivered a judgment unfavourable to the commissioner in an earlier matter.
She claimed that the commissioner reacted by verbally abusing and physically assaulting her.
The affidavit alleged that the commissioner ordered her to “shut up,” describing her as “just a mere Magistrate,” and reportedly claimed that even the Chief Judge of Ondo State could not speak when she was talking.
It further alleged that the commissioner warned the magistrate to “watch her back,” boasting that she had the means to make her go missing if she was not careful, while beating her chest in a threatening manner.
The affidavit also claimed that the commissioner said that by the time she was done, neither the Governor of Ondo State nor the Chief Judge would be able to rescue the magistrate.
At the hearing on Tuesday, the commissioner was absent from court.
Her counsel, Barrister Adewusi, informed the court that she was receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Ilara-Mokin and requested a stand-down to enable him present evidence of her hospitalisation.
The presiding Magistrate, Mr Damilola Sekoni, granted a stand-down of one and a half hours, directing that the commissioner must appear in court or provide satisfactory proof of her inability to attend.
When the matter resumed, the defence presented a medical report which was immediately challenged by the prosecuting counsel, who questioned its authenticity and adequacy.
The prosecution argued that the document failed to establish that the commissioner was admitted or medically unfit to appear in court.
In his ruling, Magistrate Sekoni rejected the medical report, describing it as unsatisfactory.
He noted that the document lacked critical information such as the date and time of admission and did not clearly state that the commissioner was incapacitated.
The court also took note of the prosecution’s claim that the report appeared hastily prepared and possibly forged.
Describing the commissioner’s conduct as a show of disregard for the authority of the court, the magistrate ordered her immediate arrest and remand in prison custody.
He subsequently adjourned the case to January 12 for further hearing.
As at the time of filing this report, neither the Ondo State Government nor the Ministry of Women Affairs had issued any official statement on the matter.
