KOgi Deputy Governor involved in Land tussle
Kogi Deputy Governor ENMESHED IN Land Scandal, Fights Dirty
Kogi State Deputy
Governor, Elder Simon Achuba reportedly aided the vandalization of a property
located between his office and the popular Basil Palace along Salihu Ibrahim
road, GRA, Lokoja
The vandals, who stormed
the area in the early hours of Friday, demolished the fence, smashed the
apartment’s windows and threatened to harm the residents.
The disputed property, a
4-bedroom apartment built on a choice plot that shares fence with Kogi State
Deputy Governor’s office.
It was gathered that the
immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Arc. Yomi Awoniyi made attempts to
acquire the property but was unwilling to pay the asking price. The property
was later sold to Alhaji Mohammed Danladi, the owner of Basil Palace.
Few months after, it was
reported that Achuba bought the property for 35million Naira. He was allegedly
scammed by the widow of the deceased former owner. Unconfirmed reports said
Achuba bought the disputed property on behalf of the state government through a
company owned by his younger brother.
A source said Achuba
collected over a hundred million naira from the state government for the
purchase of the property. He said when the number two man in the state learnt
that he might have been scammed, he resorted to illegal use of force and
intimidation.
He reportedly deployed
three truck loads of security men to arrest and detain the other claimant,
Mohammed Danladi on Friday. He also ordered supply of construction
materials to the site.
It will be recalled that
four months ago, a Lokoja based human rights lawyer, Barrister S. A. Abbass
wrote petition against Achuba over alleged intimidation, harassment, incessant
disturbance of his client, Danladi.
In the
petition addressed to Kogi Commissioner of Police, the human rights lawyer
stated that Achuba has taken several criminal actions against Danladi and his
family and boasted that he can do whatever he likes without consequences.
“Sometime
in October, 2016 the Deputy Governor went to our client’s business premises,
asking our client to give up possession of a certain house that he (the Deputy
Governor) had purchased same. Our client told him that he was in lawful
occupation of the said house and further advised the Deputy Governor to in any
case, pass through the proper channel if he indeed has any valid claim to the
said house. However, this did not go down well with His Excellency, the Deputy
Governor, as he started raising his voice and threatening to deal with our
client if he did not give up the said premises.
“These
acts of intimidation, threat to life, reckless abuse of office, highhandedness
oppression and infraction of our client’s fundamental rights by the Deputy
Governor has become frequent and unbearable. For instance sir, on the 6th day
of June, 2017, the Deputy Governor sent to our client’s premises mobile
policemen to further intimidate and frustrate our client and disrupt his
business activities.
“In
addition, on the 9th day of June, 2017, the Deputy Governor again sent to our
client’s premises about ten (10) officers of the Special Anti Robbery Squad
(SARS) to intimidate our client and on this occassion, the said SARS officers
arrested about six (6) young innocent citizens who had gone to transact lawful
and legitimate business of supplying rams to our client. Sir, these innocent
Nigerians were detained and labeled ‘Boko Haram Members’.
“In the
light of the foregoing, we respectfully request you to use your good offices to
investigate the criminal actions and activities of and bring him to justice
expeditiously.
“While
we agree with Achuba that he is ‘a big man’, we are very certain that the Law,
the Nigeria Police Force and the Criminal Justice System are bigger and more
powerful than him,” the petition read.
There
are indications that Mr. Danladi will drag Achuba to court next week as Police
rounds up their investigation on the matter.
Comments
Post a Comment