Court Lifts Injunction on Ile Arugbo, Awards Penalties against Asa Investment

KWARA State High Court has lifted the interim injunction restraining the government from building on the civil service clinic land (Ile Arugbo).

This followed persistent absence of Akin Onigbinde, lawyer to the claimant, in court.

Asa Investment Limited, purportedly owned by the late Olusola Saraki, sued the state after the government reclaimed the land which it said was unlawfully taken over by the firm.

Justice Abiodun Adebara awarded the four defendants (Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Attorney-General, House of Assembly, and Bureau of Lands) N200,000 each, and N50,000 to the police.

Justice Adebara took the decision after Onigbinde also failed to attend court yesterday.

Onigbinde sent a letter, attached with a medical report, saying he was advised to go on bed rest from August 3 to 10.

Many adjournments later at the instance of Onigbinde, the counsel, on July 8, agreed to one for July 22, which he could not make.

This led to the sitting of August 6, which Onigbinde failed to attend allegedly on medical grounds.

Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Salman Jawondo said the claimant was ‘deliberately wasting the court’s time’.

He urged Justice Adebara to dismiss the case for lack of diligent prosecution, and award N250,000 for the defendants.

The judge adjourned till September 23 and 24 to allow the claimant’s lawyer continue the case, warning that he would not grant any other adjournment.