By Stephen Simon
The Osun State Judiciary is facing a fresh controversy following the removal of the Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Abosede Fagbola, a lawyer, and her replacement with a non-lawyer.
The dispute escalated last Monday when Fagbola was allegedly locked out of her office, amid questions over whether her replacement complied with the state’s applicable laws.
The controversy reportedly began after Fagbola, acting on the directive of the Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Adepele Ojo, who chairs the JSC, transferred the commission’s Assistant Director of Administration and Supplies, Isiaka Alao, to the Customary Court of Appeal.
In a letter dated September 14, 2026, Fagbola formally notified Alao of the transfer. However, a memo issued by the Office of the Head of Service four days later directed Fagbola’s deployment to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital and designated Alao as acting secretary.
In a petition to the JSC vice-chairman, Fagbola described her transfer as punitive and questioned its timing, alleging that Alao had failed to comply with his own transfer directive.
The dispute has also raised questions about a gazetted state law which reportedly stipulates that the JSC secretary must be a legal practitioner.
However, the Osun chairman of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, Idris Adeniran, argued that the provision was not contained in the commission’s establishment law.
Adeniran cited previous appointments of non-lawyers to the position, insisting that career officers should have opportunities for advancement.
The legal basis for the appointments and transfers remains central to the controversy.
