An Akure-based Human Rights Lawyer, Tope Temokun has written to the Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo,SAN on the continued detention of three Ikale indigenes over issues relating to lands and the management of Okitipupa Oil Palm Company.
The lawyer in a letter addressed to Ajulo and a copy obtained by RAYOPOST on Monday called on the AG to use his office towards the release of the three individuals namely, Bose Loyinmi-Ogunlowo, Rachael Akinirun, and Orimisan Adelokiki who had been incarcerated for exercising their legitimate rights of protest.
The trio have been in detention for over three weeks over their role in the alleged enforcement of a supreme court judgement for the taking over a land being occupied by OOPC in Ikoya, Okitipupa LGA of the state.
Below is the full letter,
ON THE IKALE 3: A RELEASE THAT JUSTICE DEMANDS!
Ondo State today stands at the crossroads of justice and oppression; what some have framed as a mere land dispute between a corporation and locals is, in truth, a profound test of our constitutional values and the very essence of democratic governance. I have watched with growing concern as the detention of Bose Loyinmi-Ogunlowo, Rachael Akinirun, and Orimisan Adelokiki continues unabated-Innocent citizens whose only “crime” was exercising their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and expression as guaranteed under Sections 39 and 40 of our Constitution. This matter demands your immediate attention not as a minor incident, but as a fundamental challenge to our remaining sense justice in our state.
It is undeniable, though troubling, that throughout our national history, the use of police powers to silence legitimate protest has been among the most anti-democratic, most oppressive, and most fundamentally unjust tactics deployed against citizens asserting their rights. The arrest of these three Ikale indigenes while protesting the controversial lease renewal to Okitipupa Oil Palm Company Pic stands as a stark example of this injustice. Your office, with its proud traditions and sacred duty to uphold not only rule of law but social justice regardless whose ox is gored, should not be associated with such tactics, lest it tarnish your reputation and legacy as the chief law officer of our state.
The intimidation of citizens through arrest and detention is the power bank of corporate interests, deployed at the slightest challenge to frighten and silence dissenting voices and community advocates. If justice is truly what you seek to uphold, you, with your distinguished position and the weight of legal authority at your disposal, should have nothing to do with the continued detention of these three citizens who were merely defending their ancestral birthright. You may not personally have a stake in this matter, but regretably, you occupy an office of the Attorney General of the State today that has everything to do with this mater.
There is no protest the Ikale people can mount that should result in detention, especially in a matter that has both communal, judicial and civic content. Every responsible government should always hesitate to allow itself being seen to stand with private interest against community of people. Not this time, when the fundamental rights of citizens hang in the balance, lest the government will stand on the wrong side of history. The question before you today sir is clear: will you uphold the constitutional rights of the Ikale people to protest what they believe is a just cause, which the government can go into and put to a peaceful rest with dialogue and civic diplomacy, or will you allow corporate interests to use the machinery of state to suppress
legitimate dissent? The answer to this question will define your tenure far more than any other action you might take sir in this matter.
In matters of constitutional rights, after the governor and the courts, the Attorney-General is the public officer citizens look onto for protection. In these troubling times, how do you view the detention of these three citizens as a priority worthy of your office’s attention? How, sir, in resolving what is essentially a land dispute with deep historical roots, is the continued detention of unarmed protesters in the best interest of this government?
As the chief legal officer of the state, your position carries tremendous moral and legal weight. The public’s trust in your office and your duty to uphold justice must override any other considerations, particularly when the rights of citizens to protest is at stake. History is an unforgiving chronicler; it remembers injustices far longer than it remembers triumphs.
I do not question that law enforcement has no place in maintaining order in the state. The question to ask now is what purpose does the continued detention of the Ikale 3 serve? Your position as the Chief Legal Officer of this State demands more reflection on this matter because your actions and inactions are now the subject of public scrutiny. Even after this matter is resolved, until you relinquish your high office, you will be judged by how you have handled this test of your commitment to constitutional rights and justice.
Consider carefully, sir. Will the continued detention and possible prosecution of these three citizens not put the state and its government in a bad light as intolerant of the sentiments and agitation of the people? Will you, as a leader sworn to uphold the Constitution, be remembered as one who stood for justice, or one who allowed the machinery of state to be used against citizens defending their ancestral lands? And finally, will their imprisonment end the agitation that has started in Ikale community?
I urge you, sir, to reflect deeply on this matter and take immediate steps to facilitate not just the release of Bose Loyinmi-Ogunlowo, Rachael Akinirun, and Orimisan Adelokiki, but to see that the root cause of their agitation is handled in the best interest of the public. It is in the best interest of justice, the reputation of your office, and the constitutional rights we all hold dear that this matter be resolved through their immediate release, not through continued detention and prosecution.
I do hope you will take these concerns seriously and act with the urgency that justice demands.
