Proceedings at the Ondo State High Court were stalled today, as the Court failed to sit in the urgent Fundamental Rights Enforcement suits filed on behalf of three operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun): Abu Taiwo, Akinsipe Victor, and Ekujimi Julius.
The suits, namely ABU TAIWO v. Chief Adetunji Adeleye & Ondo State Security Network Agency (Suit No: HCAK/478/CIV/2025); AKINSIPE VICTOR v. Chief Adetunji Adeleye & Ondo State Security Network Agency (Suit No: HCAK/475/CIV/2025); and EKUJIMI JULIUS v. Chief Adetunji Adeleye & Ondo State Security Network Agency (Suit No: HCAK/479/CIV/2025), challenge the declaration of the applicants as “wanted” by the Ondo State Amotekun Corps Commander, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, made on October 27th, 2025, without any charge, arraignment, or valid judicial order.
According to Tope Temokun, Esq., counsel to the Amotekun officers, the matters were fixed for hearing today following an urgent letter dated December 8th, 2025, to the Honourable Chief Judge of Ondo State, “drawing attention to the grave and continuing violation of the applicants’ constitutional rights and requesting the immediate assignment of hearing dates in line with the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules.”
Temokun expressed concern that “Despite the acknowledged urgency of the suits and the fixing of today’s date, the Court did not sit. The consequence of this development is that the unlawful declaration of the applicants as “wanted” continues to subsist, compelling them to remain in hiding, in the face of continued abuse of executive power in the absence of any lawful criminal process.”
While expressing confidence in the judiciary, Temokun stated, “I have today written a fresh letter to the Honourable Chief Judge of Ondo State, respectfully drawing attention to the failed sitting and urgently requesting the immediate assignment of a new hearing date to arrest the continuing constitutional wrong,” and affirmed that, “All lawful steps will continue to be taken to secure the liberty of the affected officers and to halt what has become a disturbing example of executive rascality.”
