According to a news report from Vanguard, a group of aggrieved youths in Kwara State, under the aegis of Kwara Rescue Team (KRT), staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday afternoon against the alleged contemptuous actions of the state government concerning a disputed land.

The protest was in response to ongoing construction work on a contested piece of land in Ilorin, known as Ile-Arugbo, which belongs to the late Abubakar Olusola Saraki, despite a subsisting court order.

It is recalled that a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin had restrained the Kwara State government from commencing any construction works on the disputed parcel of land, pending the final determination of the case.

The Saraki family's counsel had also petitioned the state police command to intervene and prevent the situation from escalating into anarchy in the state capital.

The protesting youths, led by the convener and Secretary General of the team, Comrade Adio Odunjo Olando and Comrade Bello Olanrewaju, respectively, told journalists that the state government's actions were dangerous and capable of igniting avoidable public unrest at this critical moment in the country.

KRT implored the Kwara State government to cease all construction activities at Ile-Arugbo and to respect the court’s directive and the undertaking signed not to proceed with any work on the land until the case's final determination.

“We, as young professionals, condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing construction work by the Kwara State Government on Ile-Arugbo. This action directly contravenes a subsisting court order and undermines the judicial process, inviting anarchy and a breakdown of law and order in our dear state. This must be resisted by all well-meaning Kwarans and Nigerians”.

The group also accused Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of using officers of the Kwara State Police Command to execute alleged contemptuous behavior against the existing court order.

“Armed police officers are providing security for the construction workers on the disputed land. The police, as an institution of government, should not join an adventure aimed at undermining the judiciary and plunging Kwara State into a political crisis.

“This presence of police officers on disputed land could ignite other parties to take the law into their hands, leading to avoidable unrest and further destabilizing peace in our state”.the youths also said .

They called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure that the integrity of the police is not tarnished, saying that the police must not be seen as acting against the rule of law, which is the core mandate of the police in any functioning democracy.

On the forthcoming local government elections in the state, the youth stakeholders called on the presidency to urgently address issue of alleged impunity and disregard for the rule of law allegedly demonstrated by the state government.

“We call upon all well-meaning Kwarans, Nigerians, and the international community to join us in condemning these actions. We urge the judiciary to enforce its orders and uphold the sanctity of the court.

“We also implore the Kwara State Government to immediately cease all construction activities at Ile-Arugbo and respect the court’s directive and the undertaking signed.

“The Kwara Rescue Team remains committed to promoting political integrity, economic development, social advancement, and unity in Kwara State. We must stand up against vindictive politics, driven by envy, motivated by jealousy and practiced without integrity”.