Mother, Sons Among Six Arraigned for Assaulting Vice Principal in Ondo
Six persons, including a mother and her sons, have been arraigned before the Chief Magistrates’ Court in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, for allegedly assaulting the Vice Principal of Complete Child Development Centre, Temidayo Rotifa.
The defendants, Magdalene Elisha, 50; her sons, along with Kennedy Elisha, 35; Osareti Osesa, 42; and Dorcas Ajise, 55, were charged with a total of ten offences. These include conspiracy, assault, assault occasioning harm, attempted murder, impersonation, threat to life, and breach of public peace.
According to the prosecution, led by Inspector Nelson Akintimehin, the incident occurred on May 29, 2025, around 8:00 p.m. in the Aule area of Akure South Local Government Area.
The group had reportedly stormed the school in anger after the affected child’s Android phone was confiscated during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Inspector Akintimehin told the court that the defendants attacked Vice Principal Rotifa, beating him severely and dragging him out of a police vehicle, resulting in both internal and external injuries. He further alleged that the group threatened to kill the vice principal and vowed to force him out of Akure.
The prosecutor also stated that some police officers who attempted to intervene were assaulted during the attack. The defendants allegedly incited panic by falsely accusing the officers of being kidnappers, causing unrest in the neighborhood. One of the defendants, Kennedy Elisha, was also accused of impersonating a military officer.
The group was said to have been armed with cutlasses, sticks, and other weapons during the incident. They reportedly made attempts to set a police patrol vehicle on fire, thereby endangering the lives of officers on duty.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, violate Sections 516, 355, 356(1), 86, 249(d), 484, 126, and 320 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their counsel, O. Adaramola, requested that they be granted bail on liberal terms, assuring the court that they were willing to meet the conditions and provide credible sureties. He also requested that they be allowed to remain in police custody pending the perfection of their bail.
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Sunday Adedapo granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of ₦750,000 with two sureties in like sum. The sureties are required to reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must present two passport photographs, an affidavit of means, and valid tax clearance certificates.
