In a shocking turn of events, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) stormed an Ogun State High Court in Ilaro, disregarding a judge’s warning, and arrested two defendants during a trial session on Tuesday.
Under the oversight of Justice AA Shobayo, the court was adjudicating a case labeled HCP/IC/2023 involving the State and Awode Oladosu & 13 others. This case stemmed from a recent crisis in the Agosasa community, Ipokia Local Government Area, over an Obaship dispute, resulting in significant property damage and loss of life.
The defendants, identified as Alhaji Isiaka Fatai and Samuel Oyero, were taken into custody by the DSS despite the judge’s explicit instructions not to make any arrests within the court premises.
Kehinde Bamiwola, counsel to Alhaji Isiaka, alleged that DSS operatives resorted to violence during the arrest, with Fatai reportedly subjected to physical abuse. Similarly, the Principal Registrar of the High Court, Omololu Olusanya, confirmed the incident, condemning it as a blatant disregard for the rule of law.
Olusanya described the DSS operatives’ behavior as shocking and emphasized that they did not adhere to the judge’s directive to refrain from making arrests within the court premises. He further noted that the operatives did not display any identifiable insignia as DSS agents, adding to the confusion and chaos within the court.
The incident has raised concerns about the sanctity of the judicial process and the need for law enforcement agencies to respect the authority of the courts.
