Kwara State Government Arrests Senior Citizen for Criticizing Governor

The  Kwara State Government has ordered the arrest of an elderly man, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Babaimale, after he criticized the governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, for what he described as a “poorly constructed” Tanke Flyover Bridge.

A team of police officers led by CSP Mustapha Olayemi stormed a mosque to arrest Babaimale after the Salat prayers at around 5:30 pm. Then it took him with them to ‘A’ Division Police Command in Ilorin.

A petition was allegedly filed by the state government because of his criticism of the governor over what many Kwara citizens have agreed to be a badly constructed flyover at a location where one is not even necessary.

The project was initially awarded to a local contractor for about 2.27 billion naira but was later revoked and subsequently re-awarded to another company for 2.4 billion naira.

One would have expected the Kwara State Government to have taken the feedback in good faith and raised the concerns expressed with the contractor in charge of the project. Sadly, this was not what occurred.

Nigeria is classified as a democratic state with freedom of speech enshrined in her constitution but the recent state persecution of critics of elected officers and their family members has led many Nigerians to adopt the saying that “Freedom of Speech is guaranteed but not Freedom after Speech”.

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Sholape Irepodun

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