BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Police in Osun State have docked a housewife, Mistura Ayodeji, for allegedly assaulting a man said to have requested for a sexual affair with her. Before an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court, Mistura was slammed with a one-count charge of assault. Police prosecutor, Inspector Adeoye Kayode, informed the court that the defendant assaulted one Taiwo Sunday by tearing his cloth in public. Mistura, aged 36, allegedly had an altercation with Sunday over a thrift collection issue on January 8, 2023 at Ahmadiyah Area of Osogbo.
But, the defendant informed the court during arraignment that the complainant had been asking her to date him and because she had declined his sexual advances, he decided to make an issue out of the thrift matter.
The charge read, “That you Ayodeji Mistura on January 8, 2023 at about 8am at Ahmadiyah Area, Osogbo, in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault and tear the cloth worn by one Taiwo Sunday and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 351 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.” After listening to the not guilty plea of the defendant, the Magistrate, A. K. Ajala asked the complainant to briefly explain what transpired.
In his narration, Sunday said he had met Mistura over a disagreement that ensued between her and his friend whom he borrowed the sum of N20,000 for a thrift. He said Mistura was snubbing him when he sought her attention to table the thrift collection matter and ended up tearing his cloth when he insisted to have her attention on the issue.
Explaining her side of the matter, Mistura claimed that the thrift didn’t involve Sunday and that the complainant was only trying to make trouble after she refused his sexual advances. “The man (Sunday) has been disturbing me to date him when we are living in the same area but I refused.
Ever since, he had been looking for means of getting at me. That’s why he involved himself in the thrift issue that he was not part of,” she said. However, the defence counsel, Najite Okobe, urged the court to grant Mistura bail in liberal terms, adding that she had reliable people to stand her surety.
But, the prosecutor objected the oral bail application, saying with reasons that the lives of the nominant complainant and the Investigation Police Officer were at stake if she should be released on bail. Adeoye said, “The defendant and her family members created a scene at the entrance of Dugbe Police Station, Osogbo, threatening that if this matter goes to court, they will deal with the nominant complainant and the IPO.
“The police made all efforts to settle the matter but the defendant refused. We don’t want to record any casualty, that’s why we are opposing the bail application.” After the defence counsel countered the prosecutor on his grounds of objections, Magistrate Ajala said the matter shouldn’t have become serious if both parties were patient enough.
The Magistrate advised both parties to give peace a chance and see how they could resolve the matter amicably before the next adjourned date. He warned that if by that time the matter had not been settled, he would order that it should be heard. Ajala ordered police to release the defendant and update the court on February 8 on settlement.
