Just In: Police Take Over Bukola Saraki’s Ancestral Home

Policemen have surrounded a property belonging to the family of the former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Channels Television is reporting that the property has in recent days been a subject of controversy between the former Senate President and the current Kwara State Government.

Prior to this development, the state House of Assembly had deliberated on a petition against the ownership of the expanse of land which was reportedly not paid for, prompting the call for the executive to take over the property.

The matter has also triggered political arguments between the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State and the state government.

The former senate president, Bukola Saraki, had vowed to contest the revocation of his late father’s property by the Kwara State Government.

He described the act as a deliberate effort of the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, to erase the legacies of his (Saraki’s) late father, Olusola Saraki.

The chief press secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaiye, had on Friday announced the take over of a piece of land occupied by the Saraki family in Ilorin, the state capital. He said a new secretariat would be built on the land.

Mr Ajakaiye said the land was originally meant for government secretariat and parking space of the Civil Service Clinic, but was unlawfully allocated to a private firm, Asa Investments Limited, without any record of payment to the state government.

No certificate of occupancy was issued in favour of the firm, he said.

In his reaction, Mr Saraki, who also governed the state for eight years, accused the governor of waging a war against him and his late father.

The plots; Plots 1, 3 and 5 Ilofa Road, GRA, Ilorin popularly known as Ile Arugbo, (Old People’s home), has always been used to host the weekly gathering of a multitude of aged people in the society who are provided food, money and health services, as part of the social welfare programme sponsored by his father, he said.

The ex-lawmaker added that the said property had been rightfully allocated to his late father under the name of one of his companies, Asa Investment Limited, since the 1980s and contrary to the claim of the governor, the land was properly allocated and a Right of Occupancy title issued on it.

“It should be noted that the excuse given by Abdulrazaq in his revocation order holds no water since it is clear that this is the height of his vengeance against my father, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki and I.

“It is surprising that of all vacant plots of land in strategic places across Ilorin township, the one that Abdulrahman found useful for his vengeful plan is the one owned by late Dr. Saraki. It is beyond comprehension why a Governor would set as his main agenda the objective of undermining and waging a war of attrition against a man who is no longer around,” he said.

This action, he said, is clearly a manifestation of vengeance and it shows that Mr Abdulrazaq is not out to serve any public purpose or pursue any development agenda.

Mr Saraki also wondered why they governor “has shown that his cardinal programme is to wage war against him and his late father.”

Enough is enough

While he warned that the governor is no match for him, Mr Saraki urged him to use his position to serve the people – as he did during his tenure. This is even as he vowed to contest the revocation of his late father’s property.