The Kwara State Government banned for life yesterday, the former governor, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal from contesting for, or holding any public office in the state. This among others was contained in a gazette cited, Kwara State of Nigeria Gazette No.2 Vol.3 dated June 2004 delivered by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Saka Isau at a press conference in his office in Ilorin.

Barrister Isau said the gazette came following the acceptance by the government of the recommendations of Justice Oluyemisi Ajayi Judicial Commission of Inquiry which was inaugurated in March 2004 by the state government to examine the financial activities of the then state primary education board from May 1999 to May 2003. The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice said the Judicial Commission recommended among others that "the ex-governor, Mohammed Alabi Lawal should be made to as a matter of urgency to refund, the amount of N404,224,876.34 illegally siphoned from the state primary education board accounts and embezzled by him, failure to do same should lead to the confiscation of his known assets to the government of kwara state. It is our considered view that a person like this is unfit to aspire to public office in any civilized country."