Amotekun shooting victim dies while Ondo govt denies him court-ordered N30m compensation

A commercial motorcyclist, Oluwasegun Oluwarotimi, who was shot by an officer of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, has died after years of alleged neglect by the Ondo State Government despite multiple court judgments awarding him compensation.

Mr Oluwarotimi died on 4 February, according to a statement issued on Thursday by his lawyer, Tope Temokun.

His death comes nearly five years after he was shot at Araromi Junction in Akure on 9 August 2021 by an Amotekun operative, an incident that led to the amputation of his leg and left him permanently disabled.

Following the shooting, Mr Oluwarotimi sued the Ondo State Government and the Amotekun Corps. In March 2023, the judge, Omolara Adejumo of the Ondo State High Court, ordered the state government to pay him N30 million in damages.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the court held the government liable for the unlawful shooting and ruled that the victim’s fundamental rights had been violated.

However, the Ondo State Government appealed the judgement. But the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, struck out the appeal on 19 November 2024, effectively affirming the High Court’s decision. PREMIUM TIMES reported the appellate court’s ruling at the time.

Despite the subsisting judgement and its affirmation on appeal, Mr Temokun said the Ondo State Government failed to pay the compensation or show any willingness to negotiate a settlement.

According to the lawyer, several letters were written to successive administrations, including to the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the current governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as well as to the state’s Attorney-General, urging compliance with the court orders.

“Despite these repeated, documented demands spanning over two years, no single reply, no empathy, and after judgement, both at the High Court and after the Court of Appeal struck out the Ondo State Government’s appeal, no compliance and no intention to negotiate a compromise,” the statement said.

The lawyer added that while the government continued to pursue legal processes, Mr Oluwarotimi’s condition worsened, forcing him into poverty and dependence.

“With permanent disability, medical complications and financial collapse, Segun lived like a beggar while the government deployed public resources to continued litigation instead of showing empathy to a dying citizen,” Mr Temokun said.

He disclosed that garnishee proceedings were initiated in December 2025 to enforce the judgment, but Mr Oluwarotimi died before the process could be concluded.

Institutional oppression

Mr Temokun described his client’s death as “one of the darkest phases of institutional oppression and injustice in recent Ondo State history”. He warned that public confidence in the judiciary is undermined when governments refuse to obey court orders.

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“Court can only be the last hope of the common man if only government is ready to respect the orders made by the court. Where the government is unwilling, then there is no hope for the common man!” he said.

The Ondo State Government has yet to respond publicly to Mr Oluwarotimi’s death or the allegations of non-compliance with the court judgement.