Land tussle: Offa Descendants Union disagrees with Afe Babalola 

By Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

The Offa Descendants Union has disagreed with Chief Afe Babalola over his comment on the land tussle between Offa and Erin Ile.

The group, in a statement by its National General Secretary, Muideen Adebayo Ibrahim, made available to reporters in Abuja, said as much as it would not want to join issues with the erudite lawyer, the group, however, said the comments credited to him was, however, prejudicial and intended to bias the minds of the members of the Panel that was duly constituted by the Kwara State Government and also the public against Offa.

Ibrahim, therefore, urged the highly respected elder statesman to allow the Panel carry out its assignment without any form of  bias.

The statement said: “Our attention has been drawn to the various publications credited to Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, wherein he warned the Kwara State governor and stated inter alia that Erin Ile won the case in Supreme Court in 1973.

“Offa is a community of responsible people and we do not intend to join issues with Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, on what he said in the various publications. This is because the statement credited to him is highly prejudicial and intended to bias the minds of the members of the Panel that was duly constituted by the Kwara State Government and also the public against Offa.

“Offa will present its position to the Panel at the most appropriate time. But be that as it may, the Supreme Court judgment of 1973 did not award any part of Offa land to Erin Ile.

“We sincerely plead to all to allow the Panel to do their job very well without being biased.

“Offa is a very peaceful town with people of high integrity and we have a lot of respect and regard for the members of the Panel constituted by the Kwara State Government.”