Oyomesi-in-council members and the Kingmakers have written to the Federal High Court on what they claim was an illegal effort to arrest them using security personnel operating on Governor Seyi Makinde’s orders.
The kingmakers sued Governor Makinde last month for illegally using the Oyo State anti-corruption agency to harass and threaten them, including by threatening to arrest them.
Three kingmakers, Yusuf Akinade, Basorun of Oyo, Wakeel Akindele, Lagunna of Oyo, and Hamzat Yusuf, Akinniku of Oyo, wrote to the court through their attorney, Kunle Sobaloju SAN, expressing surprise that law enforcement officials ignored their suit and attempted to arrest them on Thursday while it was still pending.
The suit read, “On the 13th of February 2025, the respondents’ agents and policemen in mufti bombarded Oyo town in Oyo State vehicle with registration number 01A-289 OY to effect the arrest of our clients in utter disregard of the pending application before this court.
“When they did not meet them at home, they laid siege to their premises till 12am, clearly demonstrating their intent to arrest, detain, intimidate, harass and persecute them. A picture of the bus is attached herewith. It is trite law that when parties have submitted their dispute to court, none of the parties allowed to take law into his hands,” the letter read.
“The essence of this letter is to call the attention of the court to the ongoing threat of arrest, unlawful detention, and unlawful prosecution of our clients by the aforementioned agencies. We consider this continued harassment and intimidation a flagrant disregard for the authority of this Honorable Court and a serious interference with the due process of law.
“The timing of these actions, immediately following the service of court documents, raises serious concerns about their motivation and appears to be a deliberate attempt to undermine the proceedings before this Court.”