The burning of a section of Osun state high court in Ilesha has been condemned by many as a despicable act. But for Olanrewaju Owoeye, the security guard on duty on that fateful day, it is a day he said he will not forget in history. Olanrewaju Owoeye was sighted at the court premises during an on-the-spot assessment by Osun state governor Rauf Aregbesola alongside the state chief judge and other state officials. Owoeye gave a vivid account of how he was beaten to a pulp by the assailants before he was tied up. This gave the perpetrators the needed access to do the heinous damage which was described by Rauf Aregbesola as barbaric and an assault on civilization. The governor also sympathized with the security guard who had series of machete cuts on him and several wounds around his face, telling the gory story of what he went through in the hands of the assailants while the arson lasted.
The governor has however called on the state security apparatus to arrest those who are directly or indirectly involved in the act.
The court premises itself is however a pointer to the sorry state which Nigerian judicial system is reduced to. The buildings are dilapidated while there were grown bushes all around the compound showing a clear sign of neglect. This according to the governor will change very soon as he says the state government will give facelift and improve security in all judicial facilities in the state.
Meanwhile the Chief Judge of the state Mrs Adepele Ojo has ordered the suspension of judicial proceedings at the High court in Ilesha division apparently due to the arson which occurred. In the same vein, the state commissioner of police Fimihan Adeoye has assured the populace that the perpetrators will not only be arrested in no time soon but also made to face the wrath of the law.
