The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has dismissed the appeal filed by the Ondo State Government against a High Court judgment that awarded ₦30 million in compensation to a 36-year-old commercial motorcyclist, Oluwasegun Oluwarotimi.
Oluwarotimi, who was shot in the leg by a member of the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) in Akure in August 2021, had his leg amputated following the incident. He was reportedly abandoned afterward.
In March 2023, Justice Omolara Adejumo of the Ondo State High Court ruled in favor of Oluwarotimi, awarding ₦30 million in damages against the Ondo State Government and Amotekun. The court condemned the shooting as illegal and noted its devastating impact on the victim, now reliant on crutches.
Despite receiving formal notifications of the judgment, the state government filed an appeal on April 3, 2023, challenging the ruling. However, Oluwarotimi’s counsel, Tope Temokun, raised a preliminary objection to the competency of the appeal.
On November 19, 2024, the Court of Appeal struck out the state’s appeal as incompetent and awarded a further ₦250,000 in costs against the Ondo State Government.
Following the judgment, Temokun has written to the Ondo Governor-elect, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, urging him to ensure compliance with the court’s ruling.
In the letter, Temokun highlighted the dire situation of Oluwarotimi, whose life has been upended by the amputation. He noted that Oluwarotimi’s wife abandoned him, remarried, and his two children had to drop out of school due to financial hardship.
Temokun stated: “No doubt, it might be argued that the sum awarded is excessive, but one must ask—how much is a man’s leg worth? Mr. Oluwasegun Oluwarotimi is now in a state of total privation and depression. We passionately appeal to His Excellency to intervene and ensure the judgment sum is paid, so he can begin to rebuild his life.”
The case has drawn attention to the accountability of state agencies and the need for justice for victims of negligence or abuse.