At 4:30am, Ajimobi’s bulldozers moved in, and… Ayefele’s Fresh FM Station gone + Yoruba youths’ reaction

The Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led Oyo State Government, on Sunday morning, demolished Music House, the structure owned by popular musician, Yinka Ayefele, and which houses his Fresh FM Station.
The state government had marked the structure located on the Challenge-Toll Gate road for demolition for allegedly contravening the state’s planning laws.
But Ayefele had approached an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, seeking to stop the planned demolition.
Ayefele’s counsel, Mr Olayinka Bolanle, in an exparte motion, filed before the court, sought for an order of the court restraining the state government from demolishing the property pending the determination of the suit.

Bolanle also stated that due process was followed in the construction of the structure while relevant approvals were obtained from the state’s departments and agencies associated with land and housing.
Justice I. Yerima ordered the claimant to ensure service of the court process on the respondent and adjourned the case till Monday for the hearing of the exparte motion.
However, the state government on Sunday demolished the structure.
Bulldozers moved in about 4.30 a.m. to commence the demolition while Fresh FM alerted the public on the development.
Government officials and equipment used in the exercise had since left the scene.
Freedom Online learned that the radio station immediately relocated for broadcast while a huge crowd gathered at the scene of the demolition to verbally attack the state government.

Meanwhile, the Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide has attacked Ajimobi for the demolition.
A statement by the President of the group, Aremo Oladotun Hassan, entitled ‘Music House Demolition: A Tale of Hatred and Woes’, reads:
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
19th of August marks another minus to our definition of democratic ethos and advancement of social justice rights of the people to adequate welfare and protection of their fundamental human rights. It is on this premise we condemn the draconian rule of force and oppression of man by man tendencies displayed by the Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi-led Oyo State Government to have carried out their threat of demolition of the Music House building Office complex situated in Challenge Road, Ibadan today 19th August, 2018 (A Black Sunday), despite all appeals and interventions for stay of action, not forgetting the fact that the matter is currently a subject for adjudication before a court of competent jurisdiction.
“It is rather unfortunate to witness this high level of complicity, despotic and crudity in the 21st century of a modern day democracy, where a governor assumes unfettered powers as ‘constituted authority’ with dreadful flagrant abuse of power and political privileges.

“We expect the governor to have waited for the determination of the case filed before the Oyo State High Court to be properly dispensed before his unilateral decision to forcefully evict and demolish the Music House building belonging to Mr. Yinka Ayefele, who claimed to have possessed Governor’s consent paper title of the land and other ancillary legal rights to the said property, presumed to be a grand conspiracy ploy to wreck havoc, forcefully seize and takeover the property.
“This unconstitutional and ill-motivated actions are concluded facts bordering on evil political vendetta, premeditated to inflict grievous pains and monumental agony on the soaring investment pride of Mr. Yinka Ayefele worth over N800 million, with collateral damages and consequently resulting to loss of jobs to his staff and investing public who has dealings with the company.
“One could easily draw the nexus of causation of the demolition, rising from the distorted plot of facts relied upon by the state government, that it received three petitions bordering on compliant of road accidents against the Music House building sited along the Challenge Road, as the cause of deaths, while countering itself that the land title government consent papers were obtained via deceits, a personal opinion viewed to be highly detrimental and contradictory.
The Oyo State Government is equally estopped by the rule of estoppel, wherein their previous dealings with the Fresh FM Radio Station is evidential testaments to these facts and most admissible evidence is the governor’s comment of his retraction intent of demolition during his visit to the ultra modern edifice after his second term election.

Hence, the court could have properly determine the veracity of the government’s claims, rather than violating the Independency position of the Judiciary, which had received processes application for interlocutory injunction, pending proper service on notice, but quite unfortunately, the Oyo State Government has committed the dastardly acts with brazen display of naked fire power and political impunity as already acclaimed by Governor Ajimobi himself as the touthed preference: “Constituted Authority of Oyo State”.
“Most disappointing to note, this shall have a grave consequence of a disastrous end to the winning chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in Oyo State come 2019.

“It is high time to call a spade a spade, we are displeased with the Oyo State Government’s hurried demolition, it shows how heartless the government is against the will of the people.
“Highly condemnable and dangerous to the already polarised and fragile peace in the country, we call on the Presidency, National Assembly and Chief Justice of Federation to intervene, while also calling on the entire good people Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole to rise in unison to condemn these actions of double jeopardy, which must be resisted with absolute demand for full compensation for specific and general damages.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.