…says court order a clear case of judicial overreach
A group, under the aegis of the Kwara North Development Commission (KNDC), has decried the Kwara State High Court order of remand for the trio of Hon. Iliasu Ibrahim, Shola Muse, and Adesomowo Adegogo in a Correctional Centre in Ilorin for alleged defamation, describing the court order “as a clear case of judicial overreach and executive interference in the judiciary”.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Ilorin, the President of the KNDC, Hon. Abdullahi Mansuma, and Publicity Secretary, Hajia Zainabu Seko, condemned what they described as a travesty of justice orchestrated to silence critical voices in the state.
The three defendants were remanded by Justice E. B. Mohammed over statements allegedly made during a radio programme concerning the Mutawali of Ilorin, Dr Alimi AbdulRazaq, the elder brother of Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq.
The group wondered that the “remand order came despite the constitutional presumption of innocence and the fundamental rights of the defendants to a fair hearing”.
The statement said: “The haste with which the court proceeded to remand the defendants raises serious questions about the impartiality of the presiding judge,” saying “it appears Their Lordship is doing the bidding of the Governor, who is known to be intolerant of any criticism or divergent opinions”.
The statement added: “While the Commission welcomes all divergent views on the state of affairs in Kwara, we cannot stand by and watch when citizens are being persecuted for exercising their right to free speech. The political space in Kwara is becoming increasingly suffocating under this administration.
“The rising insecurity across both Kwara North and Kwara South has reached unprecedented levels never witnessed in the history of the state. Yet, rather than focus on securing lives and property, the administration is busy deploying state apparatus to silence perceived political opponents.”
The Kwara North Development Commission has, therefore, warned that “we shall not hesitate to petition the National Judicial Council (NJC) over the conduct of Justice E. B. Mohammed.
A judge who refuses to give defendants a fair hearing while doing the bidding of the Governor has no business remaining on the bench. The NJC must immediately investigate this travesty and sanction the erring judge accordingly.
“We call on all well-meaning Kwarans, civil society organisations, and the legal community to take notice of this developing judicial dictatorship. What is happening in our courts is a danger to democracy and must be resisted by all. We reiterate that the KNDC remains open to all divergent views on the state of affairs in Kwara.
However, we will not fold our arms while our people are being targeted for expressing those views. The rising wave of insecurity in Kwara North and South, to violent crimes across Kwara, should demand the Governor’s full attention, not this distraction of hunting down critics.
“As the case is adjourned to February 25, 2026, we stand in solidarity with Hon. Iliasu Ibrahim, Shola Muse, and Adesomowo Adegogo. Their ordeal is a testament to the dangerous path the Governor is leading Kwara State, a path of intimidation, suppression, and executive rascality.
“The NJC must act swiftly to save the integrity of our judiciary. Kwaran are watching, and history will judge all who remain silent in the face of this injustice.”
