WarningOperatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) caused a stir at the State High Court in Ilaro, Ogun State, by arresting two defendants, Alhaji Isiaka Fatai and Samuel Oyero, despite a direct warning from the presiding judge.
The defendants were on trial for arson in a case marked HCP/IC/2023 between the State vs Awode Oladosu & 13 others, overseen by Justice A.A. Shobayo. The charges stem from an allegation by Chief Akeem Adigun (aka Socopao) against Fatai, Oyero, and twelve others. The Agosasa community in Ipokia Local Government Area recently experienced a crisis involving property destruction worth billions of naira and a fatality due to an Obaship dispute.
Pandemonium erupted when DSS operatives stormed the court premises and forcibly took the suspects away. Kehinde Bamiwola, counsel to Alhaji Isiaka, claimed that the DSS agents used excessive force, stating, “Alhaji Isiaka Fatai was beaten, slapped, manhandled, rough-handled, and molested.”
Comrade Omololu Olusanya, Principal Registrar and Sectional Head of the High Court in Ilaro, confirmed the incident, describing it as a shocking and disrespectful breach of the rule of law. He noted that the operatives ignored the judge’s orders not to make arrests within the court premises, even assaulting a court staff member, Mrs. Fadina, in the process.
“They still went ahead and did the act to the extent that they assaulted one of our staff members, Mrs. Fadina, while doing that act. It’s a very sad issue that caused a lot of noise within the court premises,” Olusanya stated. He added that the DSS agents were not identifiable by their attire, making them appear as armed robbers to onlookers.
Despite multiple attempts to contact Peter Afunanya, the DSS spokesman, he did not respond to calls or messages at the time of this report.
