Mr Niyi Aguda, a tenant in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has formally dragged a serving Magistrate, Kolawole Aro to the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Hon. Justice Olusegun Odusola, alleging gross abuse of judicial office and alleged denial of fair hearing.
In his petition, dated September 23, 2025, Aguda averred that on September 19, two individuals identified as Oyekanmi Isijola and Olaniran Isijola, acting in company with policemen attached to the Area Command, Akure, forcibly entered his residence and that of his landlady, Mrs. Mary Isijola, who is said to be resident abroad.
He stated that the intruders ejected him from the premises, threw out his personal belongings, and replaced the locks on the apartments under the pretext of executing a court order allegedly issued by Magistrate Aro.
Aguda also alleged that the said order was improperly obtained, insisting that due process was not followed. He maintained that the motion that led to the order was filed and granted on the same day, without service of processes on either himself or his landlady, thereby depriving him of the opportunity to be fairly heard.
The petitioner annexed a copy of the enrolment of order to support his claims and argued that the action amounted to a breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“It is against the principle of fair hearing for a magistrate to grant a motion on notice on the same day it was filed, without affording the affected parties the opportunity to be served and heard. This constitutes a violation of my constitutional rights,” he insisted.
Aguda further submitted that the latest development has attracted public outcry and eroded confidence in the judicial process within the state.
Consequently, he urged the Chief Judge to institute an urgent inquiry into the matter and to take appropriate disciplinary measures to preserve the integrity of the judiciary.
Copies of the petition were also forwarded to the Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission in Akure for necessary administrative attention.
