An Ibadan-based lawyer, Sodeeq Aderogba, has described the demolition of a building used as a hideout by kidnappers of the immediate past Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu’s sister and her twins as executive rascality and illegal.
Aderogba in a statement on Tuesday, described the demolition as a wrong decision that must be condemned.
DAILY POST reports that a law that prohibits kidnapping in Oyo State was signed by the immediate past governor of the state, late Abiola Ajimobi in 2016.
The law provides that any property, monies and other valuables owned or realised by anybody convicted of kidnapping shall be forfeited to the government for public use.
Recall that Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke, one of the sisters of Adelabu and her twins were kidnapped last Wednesday. They were rescued on Saturday by the police in Ibadan.
Following their rescue, the Oyo State government demolished the property they were found in located at Lakoun Estate, Olomi Olojuoro Road in Oluyole local government area of the state.
But Aderogba claims the Governor’s move was a bad precedent and an aberration, insisting that such an action undermines the rule of law.
He insisted that the house used as the hideout still remains a critical evidence where fingerprints, documents and other material that can be used to nail the suspects in custody could be obtained by the investigators.
He said that members of the public deserve to know the name of the landlord who built the house that was used as a hideout for kidnappers.
Aderogba maintained that only a valid order of court can lead to the demolition of the house and not the governor.
He explained that he issued the statement to educate members of the public who do not know the implications of the governor’s action.
The statement read, “Why Seyi Makinde’s demolition of alleged kidnappers’ property is wrong. Serious malady requires a serious remedy but only within the confine of the law. The illegal demolition of the property used by the kidnapping gang in Ibadan is an executive rascality that must be condemned.
“Those who don’t know that it is difficult to sustain such an aberration must be educated. Why don’t the government just kill those already arrested ? Why keeping them to be charged to court then?
“If tomorrow, another victim of kidnapping is kept in someone’s house, the people will demand that the house must be demolished whether or not the landlord is involved and the government must do so without a court order. Nobody will listen to any explanation. That is why this madness must not encouraged. That is why this is a bad precedent.
“Whatever intelligence the government must have had as to the involvement of the owner of that property in the kidnapping must be published.
We deserve to know the name of the landlord since some of the suspects are said to be mere agents.
“The Oyo State government must publish all information and documents at their disposal which so much provoked the rascality and cannot wait to be tendered in court. This must be done or lest credence is given to the conspiracy theory of “government trying to cover up something”.
“The demolished property still remains a locus criminis where fingerprints, documents and other material and germane evidence ought to have been obtained to nail the suspects in custody. So, why the rush?
“Only with a valid order of court should such a house be demolished as it is only with the order of court that the suspects arrested can be jailed or killed. If the house must be confiscated or demolished, like the suspects arrested must be killed or jailed for life, then the court must pronounce same. That is how a sane society is run”.
