Rear Admiral Harry Arogundade yesterday told a Lagos High Court that he did not order the naval ratings in his convoy to beat or harass Uzoma Okere and Abdulahi Abdulazeez.
The duo of Uzoma Okere and Abdulahi Abdulazeez were allegedly assaulted by six naval ratings attached to Rear Admiral Harry Arogundade late last year.
Arogundade also alleged that Uzoma’s father apologised to him when he heard about the matter.
This was contained in one of the six counter affidavits presented before the court and deposed to by one Nureni Akinyemi, a litigation clerk in the chambers of Bolaji Ayorinde and Co.
The plaintiffs had in their suit demanded for N100 million as damages against Arogundade, unknown naval ratings and the Nigerian Navy respectively.

Rear Admiral Arogundade said he was in his vehicle reading newspapers hence did not witness the alleged beating and harassment of the applicants adding that when Uzoma came to his office to lodge a complaint, he did everything to calm her down.

He told the court that the Col. Okere, the 1st applicant’s father was his senior at the Military School, Zaria, adding that the applicant's father had also apologised to him over the incident.
Arogundade stated that at no time did he order or encourage the naval ratings to either beat or torture the applicants. he decried the applicants loosing several valuables or sustain injuries as a result of the incident.

Earlier in his submission, counsel to the 1st and 3rd respondents, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), told the court that the respondents had filed six counter affidavits.
He apologised to the court that the respondents had not been able to file a written address because the respondents had the intention to file additional counter affidavits.
Besides, Ayorinde told the court that it would be very clear from the counter affidavits that there are conflicts in the facts presented before the court and that the suit ought not to have been filed under fundamental human rights procedures.
Ayorinde’s request to make an order allowing oral evidence in the proceedings was turned down by Justice Opeyemi Oke, who said it was not yet time to make such order.
Counsel to the respondents also told the court that he was not served with a copy of the video clips attached as exhibit to the originating summons.
Addressing the court, Omotola Rotimi, Director of the Office of Public Defender (OPD) said she needed time to study the respondent’s counter affidavits.
On the issue of video clips marked as exhibit, Omotola explained that copies had been made for the respondents as well as for the court.

Justice Oke however, urged both parties to file all their processes and serve same before the next adjourned date.She subsequently adjourned the matter till April 27 for hearing of the originating summons.