A Lagos magistrate, Funke Sule-Hamzat, in a blatant show of bullying and abuse of office and power, allegedly sent a mother of three, Yetunde Osijo, to be detained at the Kirikiri prison for scratching her car.

According to eye witnesses, the driver of Sule-Hamzat, a magistrate at the Ogudu Magistrate court, allegedly bumped into Osijo’s car.  But rather than apologize for her driver’s mistake, the magistrate ordered, that Mrs Osijo be arrested, arraigned  at court.

Yesterday, she was allegedly tried without legal representation at a court in Ogudu, with her accuser the judge and jury, literarily. WITHOUT the Magistrate’s driver being present in court.

Following the unbelievable trial, and before anyone could tell what was happening, Osijo, a mother of 3-years-old twin boys, was already being taken to Kirikiri in a Black Maria.

Apparently, Mrs Osijo had accidentally scratched the Magistrate’s car but following the minor accident, Yetunde left the scene assuming  she had been excused for the minor damage only to realise that Sule-Hamzat’s car was pursuing her. The driver caught up with her and then bumped her car from behind. When she stopped, the magistrate ordered that, she be detained. 

According to Dipo Osijo,  Yetunde’s  husband, his wife only started driving in January, and that it was just a traffic offence that resulted in a minor scratch. She had been taking one of the couple’s twin sons to the hospital when the incident occurred.

It is however alleged that the Magistrate was enraged on hearing that Yetunde’s father is a former clerk of the National Assembly.

Dipo Osijo, whose wife has since been released on a N100,000 bail said, “Fellow Nigerians, please let’s not allow a Magistrate abuse the use of her office by detaining Yetunde in kirikiri. She is NOT A CRIMINAL. Let’s not allow Yetunde continue to sleep in Kirikiri or in any jail. Let’s say no to misuse of power and unlawful detention.”

This incident is an absurdity and the ministry of justice must investigate this injustice and if true, this illiterate magistrate and IG must be sacked!