Kwara Government Demolishes Saraki’s Property

The property of former Senate President, Bukola Saraki was among the properties that were demolished by Kwara State Government at the Ile Arugbo of the Sarakis

On Tuesday, Justice Abiodun Adewara of a Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, struck out a suit against the demolition.

The judge said the appellants, Bukola Saraki’s Asa Investment Limited, again failed to call any witness to support their claim that the land belonged to late Olusola Saraki.

On Wednesday, Asa Investment condemned the government “hasty action”.

A statement by Akin Onigbinde (SAN) called it reckless, illegal and glaring impunity, insisting that the matter was still in court.

“Less than 24 hours after the court fixed March 27, 2021 for hearing of the counterclaim filed by the government, the state ordered bull-dozers to go on to the property about 2.25am and 4.20am on February 3, 2021, to further demolish structure and materials on it.”

He noted that counsel to the government, on record of court at previous sittings, gave an undertaking not to destroy the property until the dispute is determined.

Onigbinde accused the judge of not giving the company ample time to present its case.

He said on a single day, the court granted an application to them to substitute the name of Alhaji Sanusi Baba-Eleku, a co-claimant with Asa Investment Ltd, who died recently with another, Alhaji Abubakar Oluwatoyin.

“Before allowing the new party to file his witness statement on oath as required by law, the court struck out the case of Asa Investment Ltd without allowing the new party the opportunity to even put forward his case to Court for adjudication.”

Onigbinde lamented that the government overreached judicial process by further destroying the property during the pendency of hearing.