New Telegraph

Fresh demolition of Ile Arugbo reckless, illegal, says Saraki’s lawyers

The legal team of Asa Investments Limited, the purported owners of the property on which late Dr. Olusola Saraki’s Ile Arugbo was erected have described the decision of the Kwara State government to carry out a fresh demolition of the property whose matter is still in court as reckless, illegal and glaring impunity.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Ilorin, lead counsel to Asa Investments Limited, Dr. Akin Onigbinde (SAN), noted that he was surprised that less than 24 hours after the court fixed March 17, 2021 for hearing of thecounterclaimsfiledbythe KwaraStategovernment, the government ordered bulldozers to the property about 2.25a.m. and 4.20a.m.

on February 3,2021, tofurther demolish structures and materials on the property. Onigbinde added: “Counsel to government of Kwara State, on record of court at previous sittings of court had given undertaken not to destroy the property until the dispute is determined.

“It was also surprising that on a single day, the court granted an application to Asa to substitute the name of Alhaji Sanusi Baba-Eleku, a co-claimant with Asa Investment Limited, who died recently with another, being Alhaji Abubakar Oluwatoyin, and 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 Limited without allowing the new party the opportunity to even put forward his case to court for adjudication, and the Kwara State government overreached judicial process to further destroy the property during the pendency of hearing.” He stated that it was wrong for a party to a suit to take action which sought to tie the hands of the court or overreach any decision of court, or render nugatory subsequent decision of the court. He also noted that the state government by its action had violated the undertakings it made in open court in previous sittings not to interfere with the property

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