The Ilesa High Court 2, located in Ilesa West Local Government Area of Osun State, has been razed, leaving the entire building and sensitive court documents destroyed.
It was gathered that the attack, which occurred late Sunday night, resulted in the complete destruction of case files, exhibits, and critical judicial materials housed within the court.
Some sources claimed that suspected arsonists carried out the dastardly attack. However, the perpetrators of the crime are yet to be identified.
Reacting to the development, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, condemned the incident in strong terms, describing it as “an unjustifiable attack on the state judiciary.”
In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor directed security agencies to launch a thorough investigation into the incident and ordered the immediate strengthening of security across all court premises in the state.
“The burning of Ilesa High Court 2 by unidentified criminals is a direct attack on the judiciary, which serves as the stabilizer and critical arbiter of our democratic process,” the statement read.
According to the governor, although the State Fire Service was quickly mobilised to the scene, the damage had already been done before their arrival, with many sensitive documents and case files reportedly destroyed in the inferno.
Governor Adeleke further stressed the need to apprehend the perpetrators, stating, “Thorough investigation must be conducted by security agencies to ensure the suspects are brought to justice. I also direct security agencies to beef up surveillance across court buildings in the state.”
In response to the damage, the governor also directed the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to collaborate with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to commence immediate rehabilitation of the affected courthouse.
Governor Adeleke lamented the attack as a dangerous threat to democracy and the rule of law, emphasising that the judiciary deserves support and protection, not assault.
Also condemning the attack, the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, asked security agencies to probe the burning down of the Ilesa High Court.
Describing it as callous and barbaric, the opposition party, in a statement, sympathised with the state judiciary enjoining security agents to intensify their professional dragnet into the incident.
The party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, said the fire incident in the court was a strange development in the history of the state.
“We sympathize with the state judiciary over the burning of the sectional part of the court building which should be a source of concern to all right-thinking members of the society.
“We are enjoining the statutory security services like the police, the Directorate of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence to intensify their professional dragnet into the incident by thoroughly investigating the cause of the inferno with a view to bringing the culprits to book.
“This report of fire incident in the court is a strange development in the history of the state and no stone should be left unturned to unveil the perpetrators of the crime.
“We shall always, as a party, avail the opportunity provided by the rule of law to solve any knotty issue(s) in the political terrain which is the hallmark of our party since its inception.
“All the lovers of democracy should condemn the burning down of a temple of justice which is an essential element in any democratic dispensation,” the party stated.
