Receive International Payments Easily
Create a free USD, EUR or GBP account with Geegpay and receive payments from anywhere in the world.
Open Free AccountThere was confusion and tension at the Ondo State High Court on Wednesday after operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Special Weapons and Tactics allegedly stormed the court premises to arrest a suspect whose case was already being heard by the court.
Zilla Naija gathered that the suspect, identified as Ojo Ajisafe, a 34-year-old bricklayer, was present in court for proceedings related to an attempted murder case linked to a long-standing land dispute in Ondo East Local Government Area.
Arrest Sparks Panic in Court
According to reports, the police operatives, believed to be from the Lagos State Police Command, arrived at the court complex and arrested Ajisafe while the case was still being heard.
Publish Your Content on ZillaNaija
Do you have news, an event, a press statement, business promotion, political update, NGO activity, or special announcement to share? Reach thousands of readers by publishing on ZillaNaija.com.
Publish NowEyewitnesses said the officers initially arrived without uniforms, which caused panic among people within the court premises who feared that the men might be kidnappers.
However, the situation later became clearer when it was discovered that the individuals were police officers attached to the Lagos Command.
Lawyer Raises Alarm
Ajisafe’s lawyer, Femi Akinbinu, reportedly alerted the presiding judge about the development while the officers were still inside the courtroom.
The counsel described the action as a “Gestapo-style invasion” of the court premises.
Witnesses said the judge expressed shock after hearing about the officers’ intention to arrest the suspect but was unable to immediately prevent the action.
Alleged Petition Behind Arrest
Sources familiar with the matter said the arrest was reportedly based on a petition submitted to the SWAT unit of the Lagos Command concerning a murder allegation.
However, it was also gathered that the same allegation was already part of the case being heard before the Ondo High Court.
The incident reportedly caused a brief disruption within the court as lawyers, court officials, and visitors tried to understand the situation.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had not released an official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
Zilla Naija will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more details emerge.
