Palpable tension has engulfed the executive arm of government in Ondo State following a recent order from the Magistrate Court mandating the arrest and remand of Dr. Seun Osamaye, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, in custody.
The confrontation began with a suit filed by a female Magistrate against the Commissioner, marking an unprecedented power struggle between the executive and judicial branches of state government.
According to sources, the Commissioner had advised the Magistrate during a meeting at the Ministry of Women Affairs regarding a child custody case. This advice reportedly frustrated the Magistrate, who subsequently filed a suit to address grievances against the Commissioner.
In a shocking development, the state Magistrate Court in Akure today ordered the arrest of Mrs. Seun Osamaye on allegations of physically assaulting Chief Magistrate Mrs. Temitope Alphonso.
The alleged incident took place at the Ministry of Women Affairs while Chief Magistrate Alphonso was attending an official engagement with the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, in the presence of ministry staff.
An affidavit attached to the charge claims that the assault followed an unfavorable judgment delivered by Magistrate Alphonso against the Commissioner. The affidavit alleges that Mrs. Osamaye verbally abused the magistrate, with part of it stating:
“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.”
At the court hearing, the Commissioner failed to appear. Her counsel, Barrister Adewusi, informed the court that she was undergoing medical treatment at a hospital in Ilara-Mokin and requested a short adjournment to provide proof of her hospitalization.
Magistrate Damilola Sekoni granted a one-and-a-half-hour stand-down but later ruled that the Commissioner must appear in court or face legal consequences.
Upon resumption, a medical report was submitted by the defense, but the prosecution challenged its authenticity. Magistrate Sekoni described the document as unsatisfactory, noting it lacked crucial details such as the date and time of admission. He questioned whether it had been hastily prepared or possibly forged.
Citing the Commissioner’s alleged disregard for court authority, Magistrate Sekoni ordered her arrest and remand in prison custody. The case has been adjourned to January 12 for further proceedings.
This court order is reportedly causing unease and anger among top government officials in the state.
