Rumpus over Abiola land: Kola Abiola says demolition threat in Ayobo is a fraud

• Olalekan Abiola calls for negotiation

By Olusegun Adeosun

Kola Abiola, first son of late politician, Basorun M.K.O. Abiola, and chairman, Radio Communication Nigeria Limited, RCN, Thursday, asked residents of Igbo-Ilogbo, Ayobo, LCDA, Lagos, not to fret or get agitated over last Thursday’s lockdown in the area, assuring that none of their properties will be demolished.

Mr. Kola Abiola, chairman of Radio Communication Nigeria Limited, RCN, the company that sold the land to the residents, said this in Lagos while addressing newsmen on the recent invasion of the community by people who said they had come to take possession, citing a court order.

“We have gone to court,” he told journalists at the media briefing, held in the chambers of RCN’s lawyer, Barrister Abimbola Olomola-Owa Esq. at Ikeja, Lagos.  “We have filed a petition, and we have always done that and won. We may go back for restitution. It is a complete fraudulent exercise. We don’t know who sanctioned it.  They manipulated the judge to pass the order. They don’t know the details. The residents of Ayobo should put their minds at rest.”

An affected resident, who craved anonymity for safety reasons, was close to tears, Thursday, as she recalled how the about 4000 residents of the community, popularly known as ‘Abiola Farm’ were rudely woken up, last Thursday, March 14, 2019, when “over 10 buses loaded with thugs, gun-wielding mobile policemen and persons who claimed to be court bailiffs” invaded the area, saying they had come to enforce a court judgement.

According to the affected resident, the people, after invading the community, clamped gates of many residents with chains and padlocks, pasted the alleged court order, and marked each building with an inscription “possession taken today, March 14, 2019…”

“We were under siege for most of the day,” the obviously agitated resident said. “They were everywhere. So, were the thugs who they left behind after finishing their assignment. The hemp-smoking thugs moved menacingly everywhere, and everybody was afraid for his safety until the police came later in the night, patrolling. That was when we were able to sleep. It was one nightmare I will never forget.”

But at the press conference, Kola Abiola assured the worried residents that there was no cause for alarm. He told them that, like he had always done when occasion arose, the extant matter would be speedily resolved.

Barrister Abimbola Olomola-Owa, who has been RCN’s lawyer since 1986, blamed the tense situation in the community on what she described as deliberate misrepresentation of facts before the court.

“The judge does not have magic wand to know everything,” the RCN lawyer, Barrister Abimbola Olomola-Owa, continued. “He would rule based on the facts presented to him. Besides, I don’t have knowledge of the court exercise (that led to the situation). We have petitioned the court. The matter is between the invaders and the company (RCN) not Abiola family.”

Dr. Gabriel Oydedeji, executive assistant to Mr. Kola Abiola, also spoke at the briefing. He alleged that some distant members of the family, and some half-brothers of Kola Abiola have been invading the late Abiola’s properties for years, selling them off.

“But Mr. Kola Abiola has been mute about it because he is trying protect the family’s image,” Oyediji continued. “This same people sold out Concord Press; Abiola Farm, Lafiaji, Kwara, State;   Abiola Farm headquarters at Obada-Oko, where 27 acres of land were sold off;  Abiola lands in Ijeja and his properties on Sokoto Road, both in Ogun State; and so on.  But on this matter, he (Kola Abiola) is coming out to fight because there is a third party involved-the people (in Ayobo), their property, their families. How can you demolish properties belonging to thousands of people. It is insane.”

Kola Abiola, at the press parley, also explained why he had to break his silence this time around and set the records straight on this matter.

“I hardly speak to press,” he said. “But on this matter, I have to come out to defend the people, unlike before. In this case, people are involved. The suit is not against me; I am just a chairman and member of Board of Directors of the company. The company is a legal personality. I am just coming to clarify certain things.”

Mr. Abiola stressed that the RCN lawyer had no knowledge of the case that resulted in the judgement being brandished. “And she is the only lawyer handling our property issues,” he said. “The said court judgment is a fraud.”

Although no property has been demolished so far, the residents are living in fear. However, the Mr. Abiola insisted there was no cause for apprehension. He assured: “We have always won, we will win again.”

However, at a press conference held at the Lagos secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, on Wednesday, Mr. Olalekan Abiola, one of the late M.K.O. Abiola’s children, and Chief Muritala Abiola, introduced as the Head of the Abiola Family, said what they did on Thursday, March 14, 2019, was to execute a court judgment and protect their late father’s legacies, and not to inflict any hardship on citizens.

The two men, who confirmed that the late Basorun M.K.O Abiola bought the 400 acres of land in question through RCN, showed a document which they claimed was endorsed and authorised by the family to justify their action.

The document states: “This is to notify the public that the entire family, estate, children and beneficiaries to the estate of the late Chief MKO Abiola are aware, consented and authorised the execution of judgment of the Honourable Justice W. Ajao Oshodi of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, dated 11th November, 1988 in suit No. ID/155/86 between Radio Communication Nigeria (RCN) and Adisa Bada and Ors., and also the Court of Appeal judgment dated 14th April, 2000 in Suit No. CA/L/199/1994, the lead judgment as read by Honourable Justice George Oguntade of the Court of Appeal, Lagos (as he then was) and the revalidation of the said judgment in Suit No. ID/155/86 by the Honourable Justice O. A. Ogala (Mrs.) of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja in the ruling of 4th July, 2018.”

The two men said: “We, however, wish to inform the public, particularly the occupiers of the area concerned (both legal and illegal) that as much as we are interested and seeking justice against unlawful encroachment on our land, we, however, do not intend to make things difficult for anybody in the society, as that will no doubt negate the spirit with which Chief MKO Abiola laid down his life for all.

“We are, however, not unmindful of the fact that some occupants might have derived their interest from RCN or other conglomerates and of the family. This interest we have notices of, but we will not hesitate to press further our right against those who have sought to take advantage of our loss and have trespassed on the land of our patriarch; on them we shall not relent.”

They gave the residents a five-week ultimatum to either quit the land or reach out to the family’s solicitors or administrators and head of the family.