Date: 2020-01-08

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kwara state Barrister Ayinla Jawondo has confirmed that the state government was served with the writ of summon and not that of the order restraining the government from taking further action on the controversial land on which the constructed "Ile-Arugbo" was demolished.

Speaking with Vanguard in his office Barrister Jawondo, however, said that though it technically meant that the state government has not been restrained but that as a government that believes in the rule of law, it has decided to stop further action on the matter until the final decision of the court.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice also noted that the injunction granted would expire after seven days, adding that by the time the case is argued in the court the injunction would be withdrawn.

He also said that the intention of the state government was to demolish and construct the state secretariat on the expansive land as planned.

He said, "Since we have not been served the court order, it could mean that we have not been restrained, but the issue is that even before they got the order of interim of injunction on our own we have stayed actions on it.

"Our decision was taken since last week Friday when they brought the advance copy of what was brought today which is official.

"This is because we want to follow the rule of law, so whether they served us this order or not we have stopped further action as a government that believes in the rule of law."

Jawondo also said that though the state government does not know the facts presented by the Sarakis which prompted the court to grant them the injunction, but expressed believe that by the time the case is argued in the court the injunction would be withdrawn.

His words, "But we know as a matter of fact that by the time we place the real fact before the court, the court will know that in the first instance they did not deserve the order of injunction granted them.

"From what we have the Sarakis don't have anything other than the 2005 allocation paper which stated six conditions before they could construct on the land and not one of those conditions was fulfilled."