The Ahmaddiyya Muslim Society in Ekiti State has accused former Governor Ayo Fayose of grabbing the land allocated to it to build a petrol station for his son.
The Muslim body has called on Governor Kayode Fayemi to revoke the alleged unlawful allocation of the land to Fayose’s son, to avert crisis in the state.
The group said the land located at Odo Otu in Atikankan area of Ado-Ekiti, was acquired in 1940 during the reign of the late Ewi, Oba Anirare Aladesanmi, describing the forcible takeover by Fayose as “an act of oppression to Muslims in Ekiti.”
Placard-carrying members of Ahmaddiyya also staged a peaceful protest on the alleged land grab by Fayose whom they accused of using instruments of coercion to ensure construction of filling station for his son.
Some of their placards read: “We Want Our Land Back,” “No Illegal Acquisition of Our Land,” “Enough of Marginalisation of Muslims in Ekiti,” “Government, Give Us Our Land,” among others.
Addressing reporters on the development, President of Ahmaddiyya Muslim Jama’at in Ekiti State, Mr. Bashirudeen Alawode, said the group was surprised earlier in the year to see new petrol station being built on the land that was apportioned to them 78 years ago.
He explained that the Islamic movement built the first mosque on the plot of land in the 40’s before the old structure built with mould blocks was demolished.
According to him, the group immediately sent a letter to Fayose, where they got to know that the land was allegedly acquired by the ex-governor for his son to construct a filling station.
Alawode said: “We went to the State Ministry of Lands and the General Manager of the Ekiti State Housing Corporation and complained, but they told us the land has been acquired by the government and we suspected that government can’t acquire land to build a petrol
station.
“When we suspected foul play and saw the structure springing up, we sent a petition to the Police Commissioner and he intervened and stopped the construction. It was at the meeting with the CP that we got to know that the land was acquired by the governor for his son.
“Rather than even tender apology, the ex-governor even threatened us and said the land had been acquired and that there was nothing we could do about it.
“We have documents backing us that we are the original owner, so we are appealing to the government to remove the structure and give us our land back, it belongs to us.
“We can only negotiate with the owner of this structure if they give us another land within this vicinity and this should come with all necessary documents”.
When contacted, Fayose’s media aide, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, he can’t react to the issue because he did not have enough facts about it.
