Barely 24 hours after the eviction notice issued to occupants of Crystal Place Mall, the Kwara State government has demolished the complex owned by Hon. Moshood Mustapha, a former member of the Federal House of Representatives.
The popular shopping complex along Sulu-Gambari Road, Ilorin, had earlier been barricaded by security operatives and was leveled late on Sunday night, amid tight security.
The demolition came a day after business owners at the Crystal Place Mall on Saturday received a sudden three-hour notice to vacate the premises.
There were reports that the directive came from the General Manager of the Kwara state Bureau of Land and the General Manager of Kwara state Town Planning, signaling the government’s intention to demolish the complex.
Meanwhile, the owner of the property and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kwara State has accused the state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, of demolishing his property for political reasons.
Mustapha in a video on Sunday night, claimed that the state governor had threatened to bring him down after he severed political alliance with him.
The APC Stalwart said the demolished property worth close to N1bn was built in compliance with town planning approval and has all necessary documents.
He said nobody can stop him from doing anything he wants to do and that he will continue to destroy anyone that does not align with him. This is not how to practice democracy.
MM as he is popularly called, also accused the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Victor Olaiya, of aiding the Governor to carry out illegal demolition at night.
The business man described the action as “madness” , and called on the people of Kwara to fight what he called the menace.
Similar demolition in the past
The demolition of the Crystal Place Mall follows a similar exercise in May when the Kwara State Government carried out wide demolition exercise in the state capital, leading to the destruction of shops and properties worth millions of naira.
The action sparked widespread reactions from affected business owners and residents, many of whom felt they were not adequately compensated or given sufficient time to prepare.
During the May demolition, Crystal Place Mall, located on Sulu-Gambari Road, was partially affected, with its fence and part of the building demolished.
Meanwhile, the Kwara state government is yet to comment on the latest development.