A legal disagreement has emerged in Ondo State following allegations that the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, may be protecting the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Seun Osamaye, over an alleged warrant of arrest connected to an assault case involving a magistrate.
An Ondo-based legal practitioner, Mr. Wale Odusola, has questioned the Attorney General’s position denying the existence of any verified or duly issued warrant authorising the arrest of the commissioner. Odusola described the explanation as misleading and inconsistent with established legal procedures.
The controversy follows reports that a Magistrate Court, presided over by Magistrate Damilola Sekoni, allegedly issued a warrant of arrest last year after Mrs. Osamaye was accused of verbally and physically assaulting the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Alphonso, during an official visit to the Ministry of Women Affairs.
Despite the reports, the commissioner has continued to appear at public events, prompting debate among legal practitioners and members of the public about whether a valid court order exists and, if so, why it has not been enforced.
In a statement addressing the issue, the Attorney General maintained that there was no lawful basis for the commissioner’s arrest. He said his office had no documentary evidence confirming that any warrant of arrest had been issued or properly served.
“There is no material evidence before the Office of the Attorney General or any relevant authority confirming the existence of a written court order or warrant of arrest that has been duly issued and served,” Ajulo stated.
He explained that attempts to obtain a Certified True Copy of the alleged warrant were unsuccessful due to public holidays and an ongoing judiciary workers’ strike. He also stressed that security agencies cannot act without valid legal instruments.
However, reacting to the statement, Odusola argued that the Attorney General’s emphasis on the “service” of a warrant reflected a misunderstanding of legal procedure. According to him, arrest warrants are not served on suspects or on the Attorney General’s office.
He explained that once a court issues a warrant, it is transmitted through court officials to the Commissioner of Police, who then directs officers to effect the arrest and present the individual before the court.
“Who exactly was the Attorney General expecting the warrant to be served on?” Odusola asked, adding that the process surrounding arrest warrants is clear and should not be misrepresented to the public.
Odusola further suggested that the matter might ultimately be resolved through political intervention rather than judicial proceedings, while expressing concern over what he described as unequal application of justice.
