Says appointment illegal, unacceptable

By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The people of Malete District in Moro local government area of Kwara State have kicked against the appointment of Mallam Mohammed Abdulkadir Baba of Basambo family in Isale-Oja, Ilorin as the new Daudu (District Head) of Malete by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, saying the
appointment was made in a bad light, and not only illegal but also unacceptable to them.

The people, numbering over 100, under the aegis of Community Leaders and Forum of Baales, comprising the Magajis and Alanguas from Malete District, vented their anger over the appointment at a meeting held in Malete town, the headquarters of the District.

They contended that the appointment was in gross violation of the “valid and unappealed Kwara State High Court Judgment of 22nd October, 1997, which was delivered by Hon. Justice J. A. Ibiwoye in favour of three of our illustrious sons from Malete District, Alhaji Saka Adeyemi, Bayo Akande and Jimoh Adio, all of blessed memories, who were the Plaintiffs in a Suit No KWS/231/89 at the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin in 1997.”

Justice Ibiwoye had in that historic 1997 ruling averred that “Moro local government area is not under the Ilorin Emirate Council”, noting that it would be absurd for a non-indigene to be imposed on the people of Malete as District Head.

“Since the four issues formulated by the learned State Counsel for the defendants are resolved against the defendants, the plaintiffs’ claims succeed. In consequence, all the three reliefs sought by the plaintiffs are hereby granted,” Justice Ibiwoye stated.

Addressing journalists in Malete, the spokesman for the people, Engr. (Hon.) AbdulKarim Layi Ayinde, said the court judgment, to the best of their knowledge, was never appealed and had since become statute barred, adding that it must, therefore, be respected and obeyed.

He said: “Consequently, the appointment of anyone as Daudu of Malete or District Head of Malete, as recently made, could not be a valid and sustainable action, coming from anybody or any authority.

“From the foregoing therefore, we the people of Malete District in Moro Local Government would like to state unequivocally that the recent announcement on Radio of the appointment of Mohammed Abdulkadir Baba as Daudu, which also pronounced him as Daudu (District Head) of Malete, is not only illegal but also unacceptable to our people in Malete District.

“It is also obnoxious and unsustainable. This is because the purported appointment was also against Government’s decision on appointment of Daudu/District Head for Malete as far back as 1977.

“More so, prior to the appointment of the new Daudu of Isale-Oja, we had earlier conveyed our objection to any further appointment of a Daudu or District Head for Malete from outside the indigenous people of the District to His Royal Highness, the Emir of Ilorin.

“Consequently, we want to state that the person, who is now appointed as Daudu of Isale-Oja, and parades himself as Daudu/District Head of Malete, is not only regarded as meddlesome interloper, but also acting in gross violation of the valid Kwara State High Court Judgment of 22nd October, 1997. His action is not only regarded as provocative to our people but also contemptuous of the valid Judgment of Court. Therefore, anyone who relates with him on behalf of Malete Community, does so at his/her own risk.”

While not opposing the Emir for appointing a Daudu for Isale-Oja in Ilorin, the people emphatically rejected “such a person, an outsider to Malete District, being also appointed or pronounced as Daudu/District Head of Malete henceforth, as previously proclaimed by Government”.

They reiterated: “Our opposition is therefore borne out of the need for everybody to respect the valid Judgment of a Court of competent jurisdiction, as delivered on 22nd October, 1997, on the matter.

“We are very hopeful and are rest assured that by his past acts of benevolence to the people and in consideration of our noble request, His Royal Highness and highly respected Emir of Ilorin, who having been a celebrated Judge of high repute, would take judicial notice of our genuine complaints by prevailing on the recently appointed Daudu of Isale-Oja to limit his operations and the activities of his office to Isale-Oja area in Ilorin. He should therefore not attempt to carry out any function in Malete District whatsoever, while parading himself under the guise of Daudu (District Head) of Malete, like it was done in Malete on Tuesday, 22nd October, 2024.”

They added: “We have already made our complaints on his action known to the Kwara State Commissioner of Police to call him to order and ensure that the police authority in Malete stopped any further attempt by the newly appointed Daudu of Isale-Oja, Mallam Mohammed Abdulkadir Baba, to impose himself as the Daudu or District Head of Malete on the people.

“While we are happy that our complaints on his illegal action is receiving due consideration and attention by the Kwara State Police Command appropriately, we would like to believe, with all sense of responsibility, that the State Police Command is supposed to uphold justice by enforcing the valid Judgment of a competent Court and not supporting those violating it in any way.”

They, however, warned that if such support is subsequently provided by the police to the “Basambo family of Ilorin, it might lead to the provocation of the sensibility of our people as it’s tantamount to infringements on their fundamental human rights, which might evoke some consequences.”

They, therefore, appealed to the State Government “to also intervene on this matter urgently by ensuring that members of the Basambo family of Isale-Oja, Ilorin, are prevented forthwith from their fraudulent incursions into Malete District as Daudu or District Head of Malete, whereby they have lately not only been making false and illegal claims of ownership over our ancestral lands.

“We are, therefore, not only vehemently rejecting their obnoxious claims entirely as incorrect, intimidating and untrue, but we also consider it as provocative. As a result, we want them to be cautioned to stop further actions against the sensibilities of our people, else it would surely provoke reactions, which might lead to breakdown of law and order in our Communities, God forbid.”