| Abiola’s brother
arrested •For selling MKO’s property
By BIODUN DUROJAIYE, MOSHOOD ADEBAYO, TUNDE OYELEYE
and PHILIP NWOSU, Lagos
Thursday, August 5, 2004
Alhaji Mubashiru Abiola, younger brother of late Bashorun
MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12 presidential
election, has been arrested by the police in Abeokuta, the
Ogun State capital.
His arrest on Tuesday was, however, not in connection with
his shocking acceptance to be patron of a group seeking to
return General Ibrahim Babangida, who annulled his brother’s
electoral victory, to power as president in 2007.
Rather, it was in connection with the sudden disappearance
of an industrial power generating plant, valued at over N50
million and belonging to the late Bashorun Abiola.
Alhaji Mubashiru’s arrest was sequel to a petition by
administrators of the Estate of late Bashorun Abiola to the
Ogun State Commissioner of Police alleging that he, along
with some others, removed the plant from the house of the
late business mogul at Sabo in Abeokuta, without consent or
authority.
The petition, dated July 14, 2004, was written on behalf of
the administrators by their solicitors, Olomola-Owa and Co.,
with offices in Ikeja, Lagos.
The solicitors, in the petition, said: "We have our client’s
instruction to lodge a complaint vide this petition against
Alhaji Mubashiru Abiola who, together with other persons yet
to be identified, allegedly entered into late Chief MKO Abiola’s
house at Sabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State without the knowledge,
consent or authority of the late MKO Abiola’s children
and administrators of his estate. They removed an industrial
generator amongst other times. Till date, the generator has
not been returned."
The solicitors further alleged that the industrial generator
was sold to a trader, popularly referred to as "Doctor"
at Alaba market in Lagos.
They, therefore, called on the police commissioner to investigate
the matter, and bring to book all the perpetrators.
The generator, it was learnt, was at the back of the palatial
residence of late Bashorun Abiola until last October, when
Alhaji Mubashiru was said to have led three other members
of the Abiola extended family to remove it.
Sources close to the Abiola family in Abeokuta told Daily
Sun Wednesday that the set was so big that the wall of the
backyard of the Abiola residence had to be demolished in order
to pave way for its removal by a heavy duty crane.
This, the Daily Sun learnt, was in defiance of other Abiola
family members who did not like what their "Egbon"
did.
A cousin of the late business mogul, who is a retired military
officer, was said to have also reported the incident at the
Lafenwa Police Station which later transferred the case to
the State Police Command, Eleweran which commenced investigations
leading to the arrest last Tuesday of Alhaji Abiola.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olufemi Awoyemi,
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was not around when
Daily Sun called at the State Police Command. But a police
officer in the State Criminal Investigation Department confirmed
the arrest of Abiola’s brother, saying: "Yes, he
has been here since yesterday (Tuesday). Not under arrest,
but assisting the police to investigate allegation bothering
on unlawful removal of a generating set which we are still
investigating."
He declined to comment further on when Alhaji Mubashiru would
be released, saying, "that’s all I know about it."
At the Gaa, Sabo residence of Alhaji Mubashiru, nobody was
willing to speak on his whereabouts.
"Daddy has not been around since yesterday (Tuesday).
I don’t know his whereabouts. All I know is that he
left home yesterday in the morning and has not returned since,"
a man of about 20 years, who refused to disclose his name,
told Daily Sun.
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