Fayose sued for disobedience of court order
By TUNDE RAHEEM, Akure
Monday March 20, 2006

Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose and his Attorney-General, Duro Ajayi, have been sued at the Federal High Court in Akure for alleged diobedience of court order over the demolition of a property belonging to the wife of Senator Bode Olowoporoku, Mary Anike.

The demolition of the property, located at 106, Iworoko Road, Ado-Ekiti, was carried out early this year allegedly by officials of the state government on the instruction of the governor, despite an order of the court to the contrary.

The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Lambo Akanbi, had ruled on the June 23 last year on a case instituted by Mrs. Olowoporoku, that the state government should stay action on the matter.
In the experte order granted by the court when the applicant sought an order of enforcement of her fundamental human rights, it was stated that she had "been granted leave to exercise her rights to own and acquire interest in an immovable property already earmarked by the respondents for demolition without prompt payment of compensation as guaranteed under Section 43 and 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria".

The Court added that "it is further ordered that the grant of leave shall operate as a stay of all actions relating to the Applicant's complaint in this matter," while June 27 last year was fixed for hearing.
At the sitting of the court last Thursday, Wale Omotoso, who is counsel to Mrs. Olowoporoku, sought "an order of committal against the attorney-general for his gross disobedience to the order of this honourable court dated 14th June, 2005."

He also informed the court in an affidafit deposed to by Kolawole Ojo Ajofoyinbo, that following the earlier order, negotiations had begun between representatives of the respondents and the Applicant to settle the matter amicably.

"That it was while these negotiations were going on that the respondents caused their workmen with the aid of over 500 mobile policemen to bulldoze the applicant’s building structures, tearing down the wall fence, gate house and even entered the main house to extend the damage by shooting at the asbestos and walls of the house in apparent show of power on a defenceless applicant."