Adeleke’s media aides initiate contempt proceedings against DSS over ‘threat of arrest’

Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun state, has initiated contempt of court proceedings against the Department of State Services (DSS), its agents and Femi Oyetola, son of the immediate former governor of the state.

In March, Rasheed had filed a case against the DSS over an alleged threat to his fundamental human rights.

In a fresh move, Rasheed, through his lawyer, J.A Ayanyemi, had approached the court to obtain a notice of caution against court contempt, sequence to fresh invitation and alleged harassment by the DSS.

In the suit marked FHC/OS/CS/89/2024 and filed on Thursday, Rasheed said despite the initial originating summons and court order restraining the 1-3 respondents from inviting, arresting or detaining him, the DSS, through its agents, are still harassing and threatening him from exercising his fundamental rights.

“Take Notice That Unless you respect the dignity of this honorable court by
not interfering or taking any step to prejudice the proceedings of this
honorable court during the pendency of this action, you may be liable for
contempt of court and be subjected to contempt proceedings before this Honourable court,” he said.

Rasheed and Sarafa Ibrahim, special assistant to the governor on print media, had approached the federal high court in Osogbo, the state capital, asking the court to restrain the DSS from inviting, arresting or detaining them.

The duo are seeking for the protection and enforcement of their fundamental human rights against the DSS and Femi Oyetola.

Ibrahim, in suit number FHC/OS/CS/108/2024, accused
the first to third defendants of vigorously attempting to violate his fundamental rights to personal liberty

“1st- 3rd defendants are vigorously attempting to violate my fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, freedom of expression and freedom of association by threatening and planning to intimidate, harass, molest and unlawfully arrest me on
the willful instigation of the 4th defendant illegally, unlawfully, and
maliciously, with the 4th defendant hell-bent on fabricating allegations to instigate the 1st – 3rd defendants to intimidate, harass, molest and unlawfully arrest me in a bid to settle political scores against me,” the suit reads.

“This act of the 1-3rd defendants in collaboration with and/or on the
instigation of the 4th defendant constitutes an infringement of my
fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, expression and association.”