Ondo court faults Amotekun for declaring three officers wanted

The Ondo State High Court in Akure has dismissed claims of damages by three officers of the Ondo State Security Network (Amotekun Corps) against the agency, affirming the agency’s powers to discipline and punish erring officers.

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The court, however, faulted the agency for declaring the officers wanted for evading arrest.

The officers – Abu Taiwo, Akinsipe Victor, and Ekujuni Julius – were accused of “mutiny, conspiracy and incitement ”against the state.

The trio had undertaken a protest against the agency, demanding proper employment documentation for staff members and an adequate welfare package, as provided by other similar agencies in the South-west.

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The management of Amotekun responded with allegations of misconduct against the officers and demanded their arrest, but the officers went into hiding and sought the protection of the court.

Amotekun Corps, however, secured a warrant of arrest for them and declared them wanted.

The trio also ran to the courts to seek protection, saying they had been dehumanised and subjected to untold hardships due to the persecution by the agency’s leadership.

They claimed that their families had been subjected to traumatic experiences, poverty and deprivation due to the actions of the agency.

However, Amotekun denied the allegations, urging the officers to submit themselves to the due process of law to prove their innocence

Judgement

Delivering judgement on the matter, Olusegun Odusola, who is also the chief judge of Ondo State, held that “the Criminal Procedure Act, Section 35 allows courts, not agencies, to issue a formal ‘public summons’ declaring a person wanted.”

He said that Amotekun Corps had earlier secured a valid warrant of arrest from the court on 24 October 2025, three days before the officers were declared “wanted” by the corps.

“Amotekun’s warrant of arrest was lawful; the agency simply should have returned to court to convert it into a formal public summons if an officer was evading service,” the judge said.

The court further rejected a ₦5 million damages claim brought by the three officers, stating that the agency has a statutory duty to maintain discipline and to punish personnel accused of serious crimes such as mutiny, conspiracy, and incitement against the state.

The judge also chided the applicant, Abu Taiwo (Amotekun Officer), who the court found “cannot benefit from a situation partly created by his own misconduct.”

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The court acknowledged the “series of criminal allegations” against Messrs Taiwo, Victor, and Julius (Adon) documented in Amotekun’s counter-affidavit, including, “Absconding from duty post for over 30 days without permission; Inflammatory statements against the Corps; Conspiracy to invade the State House of Assembly violently; Governor’s Office, and Amotekun Headquarters; as well as Inciting mutiny among serving officers; Defamation of character against Corps leadership; Conduct likely to cause breach of peace.”

Also, Mr Odusola, who reviewed extensive social media evidence showing the applicant and his co-conspirators, held that the warrant of arrest issued on them by the Amotekun Corps was justified, noting that “a person’s right to liberty may be impaired temporarily if there is reasonable suspicion that he has committed an offence.”