A Magistrate Court sitting in Akure has ordered the arrest of Mrs. Seun Osamaye, the Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, following allegations that she physically and verbally assaulted a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Temitope Alphonso.
According to court documents, the incident is said to have occurred at the Ministry of Women Affairs’ premises, where Magistrate Alphonso was meeting with the ministry’s Permanent Secretary in the presence of staff.
An affidavit attached to the charge claims that the alleged assault stemmed from a judgment previously delivered by the magistrate that was unfavourable to the commissioner.
In the affidavit, the magistrate alleges that Mrs. Osamaye verbally abused and physically attacked her and told her to “shut up” and insulted her judicial status. Threatened her safety, claiming she had “apparatus” to make the magistrate disappear, asserting that even the Chief Judge and Governor of Ondo State would be powerless to protect her.
At today’s hearing, Mrs. Osamaye failed to appear in court. Her lawyer, Barrister Adewusi, told the court that she was receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Ilara-Mokin and requested an adjournment to present proof of hospitalization.
Magistrate Damilola Sekoni first granted a one-and-a-half-hour stand-down, but later ruled that the commissioner must appear in person or face legal consequences.
When a medical report was presented, the prosecution challenged its authenticity, and the magistrate described it as unsatisfactory for failing to confirm admission dates or fitness to attend court.
Citing the commissioner’s absence and apparent disregard for the court’s authority, Magistrate Sekoni ordered her arrest and to be remanded in prison custody. The matter has been adjourned to January 12, 2026, for further hearing.
As of filing this report, the Ondo State Government had not issued an official response to the development.
