In the evening of October 17, last year, plain clothe security men invaded the Agodi GRA, Ibadan property of the immediate past governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, which was under construction and chased away workers. The former governor was said to have travelled outside the country, when the incident happened, making his aides to wonder who could have been responsible for the act.
Although a short video clip of the incident was released on the social media that evening, it was pulled down before dawn, while none of the former governor’s aides was ready to offer explanations on why the site, believed to be Ajimobi’s retirement house, was invaded.
Media aide to the former governor, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, also declined comment, but simply asked newsmen to direct its questions to those who invaded the property. “Ask the persons that invaded why did they did so,” he said with a tone of finality and switched off his mobile phone.
But the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olugbenga Fadeyi, said: “Some people came and entered the house.”
Ajimobi also accused Makinde of boasting in different places and on several fora that he would revoke every property belonging to his predecessor anywhere in the state, if he does not discontinue the charges against the Commissioner.
“Indeed, the plots credited to Ajimobi, as contained in the records at the State’s Land Registry indicate that besides the original plots of land acquired by the former governor, he was said to have strangely added two more plots, one housing the Protocol Offices of the State and another chalet that served the state Governors since the pre-independence days.
“Ajimobi was credited with Quarter 361, 361(B) and 361( C) (quarters B and C are the two other Government Quarters adjoining 361, with one of them housing Protocol officers of government); Quarters 371 and 372, while Plot 138 Magazine Road, Jericho, Ibadan was said to have been allocated to a company linked to him.
“Following Ajimobi’s acquisition of Quarter 361 and the adjoining quarters B and C, the land mass now stands at 23, 627sqm, equivalent to 48 plots.
“The Quarter used to house the Governors of the Old Western Region in the colonial days and the pre-independence era, as well as the immediate post-independence period, where the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief SLA Akintola ruled the Region.
“Quarter 361 was originally said to have been acquired by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, when he served as Governor. His successor, Adebayo Alao-Akala revoked the land and reallocated same to the late Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola Alao, the late Ibadan businessman and Islamic leader.
“The late businessman in turn was said to have given out the land as gift to Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the immediate past Governor of Oyo State, through a “Deed of Gift” registered at the Land Registry. The veracity of the “Deed of Gift” is already being questioned and has become a subject of investigation.
