An Osun State-based legal practitioner, Yusuf Adeshina has accused the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Wale Egbedun of instructing his aides to beat him up while executing a court order.

The incident, according to eyewitnesses occurred on Friday morning when the lawyer, along with officials of the court was executing a court order to eject some people from a portion of land around NUJ Press Centre, after Osogbo Technical College in the state capital.

The source disclosed that those affected by the court order, having refused to obey the directives of the officials called the speaker on a phone, who showed up at the scene to stop the execution of the order.

When contacted, the lawyer said speaker was furious because he (lawyer) gesticulated with his finger to advise the speaker of the consequences of his actions, telling him he was misguided.

“The Speaker arrived the scene with his convoy few minutes after he was called; he opposed our effort to execute the court order. He told the policemen with me, including the bailiff to vacate the place on the ground that he has called a DCP.

“I then approached him, introduced myself and told him that he is been misguided by the people at the place. He shouted that we should leave the place. I cautioned him that his action is not well guided, I gesticulated by pointing my fingers at him. He said I am mad for pointing a finger at him, before I knew it, his aides including the security started beating me. he supervised the assault on me and the court bailiff.

I was forcefully taken into one of his security vehicles, they drove away from the scene and dropped me in front of the government house. It is unfortunate, I am even one of his counsels during his election petition”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Osogbo branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, through its Chairman, Yemi Abiona condemned the action of the speaker describing its as a major impunity.

“We condemn the action of the Speaker, it is impunity. For a lawyer and a bailiff who are executing court order to be assault and harassed by the head of an Arm of government, it is an assault on the judiciary, we are going to do everything possible to make sure that the right of our members and integrity of court is maintained, we cant be folding our arms and watch this recklessness and abuse of power”, he said

Reacting, Egbedun denied assaulting the lawyer and bailiff, noting that he only directed the policemen at the scene to leave the venue where they were executing court order.

Egbedun, who spoke through his media aide, Tiamiyu Olamide explained, “The speaker never assaulted anyone at the scene. He was called this morning by some residents that some people were at their place to forcefully eject them from a land, he drove down to the scene, when he got there; he was discussing with the leader of police officers at the operation.

“The Speaker called a senior officer who is not at the scene and handed the phone to the officer on duty, after that they withdrew from the scene. Some of the occupants were trying to mob a guy and our chief detail took the man inside our car to protect him from the mob”. (Vanguard)

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