Accord wants Ajimobi probed over alleged complicity in Ibadan ‘evil forest’ saga

The Oyo state chapter of Accord Party has called for comprehensive investigation into the issues surrounding the kidnappers’ den discovered in Ibadan last Saturday.

The party addressed journalists at its Ibadan office on Wednesday to reiterate its earlier position that the state government’s alleged negligence created space for the kidnappers and ritualists operating in the site.

It then called on the National Human Rights Commission and the Civil Societies to investigate and unravel the whole truth about the site and its history.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi, in company of heads of security operatives in the state and his cabinet members, paid a visit to the site on Tuesday where he announced the revocation of Certificates of Occupancy of pieces of land within the abandoned site.

Speaking through former Secretary to the state government and leader of the party, Ayodele Adigun, Accord accused the state government of being economical with the truth by feigning ignorance of the existence of the place.

Adigun said the land had been taken over by the government long ago, adding that the incumbent administration once used it for rehabilitation centre for lunatics and destitute as part of its urban renewal project.

According to him, the site was first occupied by Aprofim Limited, a contractor that first handled the Ogunpa Channelisation project and was later transferred to Costain West Africa Limited when the former failed to deliver.

Adigun added that the state government, again, stopped Costain from work in year 2000 and impounded its equipment when it also could not do the job.

Later, he said, the Ministry of Environment and Habitat under Ajimobi government took over the premises and used it for some pilot projects before it later abandoned it.

The former state's scribe alleged that the kidnappers took over the place after the government had abandoned it with the destitutes which were possibly starved to death.

He charged the government to take responsibility and stop bulk passing.

Adigun alleged that a N45m contract was awarded to one Ibrahim Gbadamosi to take care of the premises and its inhabitants which Gbadamosi eventually abandoned because the government only paid him N5 million out of the contract sum.

However, the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state had accused the opposition of politicizing the issue.

Also, the scheduled demolition of structures at the site was put on hold on Wednesday.

Government bulldozers had started working before they were stopped on the order of the state government.

According to a statement later issued by the Special Adviser to the state governor on Media, Festus Adedayo, the exercise was put on hold to allow forensic expert take samples of items and materials at the site for examination.