Ondo Loses Appeal On N30m Compensation For Amputee
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure has dismissed the appeal filed by the Ondo State Government against a judgment from the Ondo State High Court, which awarded a compensation of N30 million to Oluwasegun Oluwarotimi.
Oluwarotimi had his leg amputated in 2021 after being shot by an operative from the Ondo State Security Network, known as the Amotekun Corps.
In her judgment delivered in March 2023, Justice Omolara Adejumo awarded N30 million in damages against the Ondo State Government and the Amotekun Corps in favour of Oluwarotimi.
The court condemned the illegal shooting that resulted in the amputation of his leg, leaving him reliant on crutches for mobility.
Counsel for Oluwarotimi, Tope Temokun, had challenged the appeal’s validity by filing a notice of preliminary objection.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Justice Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye agreed that the notice of appeal submitted by the Ondo State Government was incompetent.
As a result, the appeal was struck out, and the court ordered the Ondo State Government to pay a cost of N250,000.
Temokun stated that he had written to the state government, urging compliance with the High Court’s judgment.
He said he reminded the Ondo State government that it was against public policy to use state resources to prosecute an appeal against a vulnerable citizen who is now an amputee, after being shot by a government agency.
No comments