Unlawful arrest: Court orders Ondo monarch, CP others, to pay N2million to hunters

An Ondo State High Court has ordered the monarch of Ile Oluji in Ile Oluji Oke Igbo Local Government Area, Oba Julius Adetimẹhin, the state Commissioner of Police and five others to pay a sum of N2million to members of the Ujamas Professional Hunters over unlawful arrest.

Other defendants in the case are: Mr. Sam Olawoyin (who was a Divisional Police Officer of Ile Oluji Division), Mr Alayande Joseph, Mr Omobamidele Omotayo , Chief Wale Fadare and Akinsooto Samuel.

The hunters had challenged, in court, the arrest and detention of some of their members, who were arrested during one of their celebrations, by the police, allegedly on the orders of the monarch.

According to them, after spending about five days in police custody, the arrested hunters were charged to an

Ondo State a magistrate court sitting in Ondo town for disturbing the peace of the community. The case was later referred to a Chief Magistrate Court in Ilẹ-Oluji for trial.

It was gathered that the court however, struck out the case against the hunters for lack of merit.

After getting favourable judgment from the court, the association of hunters later sued the Ile Oluji monarch, the police, and other defendants, at the state High Court, for illegal detention and illegal interference.

After series of arguments from both the plaintiff ’s counsel and the defence counsel, the judge, Justice Peter Ikujuni declared that the arrest and detention of the claimants were unlawful.

He asked the defendants to pay the sum of N2million to the claimants as compensation for their unlawful arrest and their detention instead of the N50million they demanded.