…Say School Lost in Court In 2016
…Another Case Ongoing
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Plans by the Kwara State Polytechnic to do a perimeter fencing of its 21 kikometre land space may be difficult as Communities on whose lands it situates said they were not paid compensations 52 years after the institution was established.
Rather, they allegedly claimed the institution came up with a list of non-existent people last year with no affixed address or communities they belonged, how much was paid to each individual and any signed documents by those alleged to be paid.
Besides, they alleged that the same Polytechnic in 2005 dragged the Communities to Court in a suit No KWS/95/05 over the land matter and it was struck out by Hon. Justice M. Akanbi on April 5, 2016 for lack of diligent prosecution.
Also, they said there is an on-going suit No KWS/238/2024 which is yet to be decided by another Ilorin High Court pointing out that ordinarily, the matter had by now become “statute barred” for the institution to act on again.
The judgement of Justice Akanbi made available to this reporter by Barrister Deji Gbadeyan, counsel to defendants while the case lasted read in part; “I hereby strike out this case. If the Claimant is serious about diligent prosecution of his case, he can come back and relist his case. Case struck out”.
The Polytechnic had however not relisted the case as directed by Hon. Justice Akanbi since 2016. Rather, the institution was said to have suddenly decided to push for the sack of the Communities from their lands describing them as “encroachers and landgrabbers”.
Also, the people of Gatta Community with their Magaji; an alleged 135 years old man along with ten others sued the Polytechnic after the institution allegedly moved to clear their land for alleged farming activities which after they cried foul, the Rector, Dr. Abdul Jimoh Muhammed changed to commercial farms.
Claimants in the suit No KWS/238/2024 included; Abdulkareem Akanji (Magaji); Abdulkareem Toyin, Ayinde Nasirullahi, Ayinde Kehinde, Saheed Gafar, Ayinde Habeed, Kareem Asoponle, Alhaja Rihanatu Kareem, Abdulkareem Saheed, Abdulkareem Awwal and Alhaja Maryam Kareem.
They had sued the Polytechnic, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who the villagers alleged were used by the institution to brutalize the villagers while clearing their lands. Others were Lukman Bolaji Isiaka, one Mr. Yahaya and Ahmed Salimonu.
The villagers were said to be asking for about N300 million as general damages from the polytechnic even when they also allegedly dragged the Rector to court in a Direct Criminal Complaints for felling their economic trees estimated at about N100 million and ferried them away but was saved by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Junior Suleiman who allegedly used his prerogative powers to stop the trial.
Speaking with this reporter, Barrister Deji Gbadeyan of Deji Gbadeyan Legal Firms said it recent development was funny that the Polytechnic would want to take a step to fence the institution’s land which they claimed in court in 2005 was 21 square kilometers and finally lost in the same court in the year 2016.
He said though the institution could continue with the original developments which stopped at the abandoned Rector’s Lodge but not to cause issues with the host communities that had peacefully co-existed with the Polytechnic for about 52 years.
The Rector, Dr. Abdul Jimoh Muhamned had told newsmen recently that the State Governor. Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had approved and released money to do perimeter fencing of the school.
He however disclosed that the Governor as a father himself warned him not to demolish structures nor cause any mayhem in the process for the sake of the lives of innocent students.