The Department of State Services (DSS) sparked controversy by allegedly raiding an Ogun State High Court in Ilaro, Yewa South local government area, during an ongoing trial and apprehended two defendants.
The defendants, Fatai Isiaka and Samuel Oyero, were standing trial for alleged arson related to the Obaship crisis in Agosasa town of Ipokia local government area of the state.
The case, titled “The State vs Awode Oladosu & 13 others” with suit no: HCP/IC/2023, was being presided over by Justice A. A. Shobayo when the incident occurred on Monday.
It's worth recalling that a crisis erupted in Agosasa, where property worth millions of naira was destroyed, and one person was reportedly killed over an Obaship tussle in the town.
Following the crisis, Akeem Adigun, also known as Socopao, accused the defendants of instigating the attacks in the town.
Counsel to the defendants, Kehinde Bamiwola, informed the judge of the presence of armed DSS operatives in court.
Bamiwola alleged that the DSS, acting on Adigun's instruction, might have come to arrest his clients.
Upon Bamiwola’s complaint, the presiding judge ordered the operatives to leave the court and barred them from making any arrests within the premises.
However, "the men of the DSS, after leaving the court’s hall, went outside within the court’s premises, disregarded and violated the court's order by forcefully arresting Fatai Isiaka and Samuel Oyero," Bamiwola said.
Confirming the incident, the Principal Registrar of the High Court and Sectional Head of High Court, Ilaro, Comrade Omololu Olusanya, described the incident as shocking and a lack of respect for the rule of law.
According to him, the judge had ordered the operatives not to make any arrests within the court premises but allowed them to do so outside its premises.
However, “they still went ahead and did the act to the extent that they assaulted one of our staff members, Mrs Fadina, while carrying out the arrest. It’s a very sad issue that caused a lot of noise within the court premises,” he lamented.
According to him, the operatives who stormed the court and disrupted proceedings were up to eight, all covering their faces with hoods.
However, a source within the DSS said the arrest of Alhaji Isiaka and Oyero was effected outside the court by operatives of the command and not within the court premises.
The source said the duo were arrested for their alleged connection to the crisis that erupted in Agosasa community in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state over obaship tussle.
Contrary to reports, it is untrue that they were arrested within the court premises," the source said. "The duo were apprehended in their vehicles outside the court premises while attempting to flee."
Those arrested were allegedly involved in widespread acts of violence in Agosasa while attempting to install one Sunday Abogunrin as community monarch against the Ogun State Government-approved Azeez Akinpelu, resulting in killings and the use of weapons on innocent locals therein.
Isiaka and Oyero are currently with the Ogun State command of the DSS, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The source said, “Both Ajibola and Oyero were alleged to have severally sponsored series of violent attacks at Agosasa prior to and in the aftermath of Akinpelu’s official coronation, leaving the community in despair, thereby necessitating several invitations by the DSS which got rebuffed by duo as they often escape to neighbouring Benin Republic upon commission of same.”
