Saraki’s Land: Aged women protest as armed policemen take over Ilofa road

There is anxiety in Ilorin ,Kwara state capital Tuesday following deployment the of armed policemel to the large expanse of land belonging to the late Second Republic Senate Leader, Dr Olusola Saraki, on which the state government said would be use for construction of secretariat.

The  Kwara state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had on Friday last week revoked the land belonging to the late second republic senate leader.

AbdulRazaq had announced plans to construct a new secretariat on the land which he claimed was obtained without any documentation, a claim the immediate past Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki denied.

The apprehensive residents of Ilofa, GRA, Ilorin where the land is located feared that Tuesday’s deployment of policemen to the area was preparatory to a possible demolition of the structures erected on the land.

Hundreds of aged women also took to the streets chanting different songs to protest the development.

Since the revocation order was issued last Friday, Abdulrazaq and Saraki  had engaged in accusations and counter accusations over the land, which the state government said belongs to the Civil Service Clinic and which Saraki said belongs to his late father.

It was gathered that heavy security presence was noticed around the area as early as 6:00 am Tuesday.

It was further gathered that the presence of the armed policemen in the area might be to prevent the aged women who usually thronged the ” charity home” at the end of every month to receive monetary gifts from the Saraki family from gaining entrance into the facility.

Reacting to the development, the spokesman for the  state police command, Ajayi Okasanmi, said that deployment of the security men to the area was for security purpose.

He  said that “it is important to forestall breakdown of law and order in the state, following perceived media war trailing the issue and various reactions from politicians on the matter.”

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