Bukola Saraki, a former senate president has reacted to his father’s house, Ile Arugbo demolished by the Kwara State government on Thursday, January 2, 2020.
In a statement sent to The Trent, Dr. Saraki, who is also a former governor of Kwara, thanked his supporters for defending his father’s house and also declared the demolition of the house as illegal.
“Following the development this morning in Ile Arugbo, I want to commend the women and men, old and young, who displayed their affection, love and staunch support for my late father and the family,” he wrote in the statement.
“I appreciate the genuine support of the women and youths who stood firmly in the face of aggression and naked show of force.
“Your action throughout the night gave full expression to my belief that what Ile Arugbo represents to all of us is etched in our hearts. It goes beyond the physical structure.
“I am happy that you were not intimidated as you stood your ground. This day will go down as the day you reciprocated the love and affection my father and family have for you.
“You have displayed a gesture of goodwill and passionate love. We assure you that justice shall prevail in a not too distant future,” he concluded, signing off as Waziri Illorin.
The Kwara state commissioner for communications, Murtala Olanrewaju, in statement after the demotion confirmed the reclamation of the land in the early hours of Thursday, January 2, 2020, explaining that the “action was carried out in the early hours to avoid any needless confrontation.”
Attempts by some persons to provoke government agents on lawful duty were resisted by the security agents who exercised the highest level of restraint and professionalism,” the commissioner said in a statement in Ilorin.
“Contrary to the claim that the state government was served court papers on the matter, we state that no court papers have been served as at the time the government took the steps to preserve what lawfully belongs to the people,” he added.
The government appealed to the people of the state to remain calm, peaceful and be guided only by facts of the matter and not to be drawn into what is targeted at distracting the public from the issues at stake.
The minister of state, transport, Gbemisola Saraki, through her special assistant, Titilope Anifowoshe, renamed her movement to ‘GRS-Oloye’ in perceived solidarity with the Saraki family despite the assumed disagreement with her elder brother, Bukola Saraki.
The minister’s statement read in part: “so many things have happened this year,in fact right up to the very dying hours of the year,but we will continue to take brave and faithful steps.
“We have a history and we are proud of that history, may Allah forgive the sins of all our dearly departed and may He make us worthy representatives of all that they stood for,” she added.
Gbemisola is Bukola Saraki’s sister.
