Frontline lawyer Afe Babalola (SAN) has cautioned Kwara Governor Abdurahman AbdulRazaq against reviewing the Supreme Court Judgement on the land dispute involving Offa and Erin Ile.
Babalola said that the Governor lacks the power to undertake such action, saying no individual irrespective of the position occupies can review the judgment of any court.
The Supreme Court had in its separate judgements delivered by Justices Teslim Elias and Mary Odili, ceded the land to Erin Ile in 1973 and 2018 respectively but the Kwara government refused to implement the verdicts.
Babalola, who spoke at the weekend, while playing host to a delegation from Erin Ile at his office in Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), said it will amount to an abuse of judicial process if the Governor reviewed the court’s judgement.
The six-man delegation comprises prominent members of Frontiers Club, Erin Ile and other leaders, including Mr. Kolapo Usman, Muideen Bello, Ganiyu Daromosu, Barr. Adeola Ibrahim, Daromosu Azeez and Mr. Adamu .
The legal icon said he handled Erin Ile’s boundary dispute case against Offa in 1971 where the Supreme Court had given judgement in favour of the town, by affirming a place named ‘Kere Ipinle’, a boundary between the two feuding towns, belongs to Erin Ile.
“I was the one who handled the case in 1971 and the supreme court, the highest judicial body in the land, gave favourable judgement to Erin Ile in 1973.
“With this, nobody, no matter how highly placed can review what the Supreme Court had said, that can’t happen,” Babalola warned.
Babalola added: “I am personally interested in this case, because I handled the case ab initio and by practice and convention, I am part and parcel of Erin Ile Community”.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Bello applauded Babalola for his service in ensuring justice for the town, regretting that some powerful forces were working against the implementation of the Apex court’s verdict.
“It is very unfortunate that Supreme Court could be this debased. The powerful people were blocking the implementation of the judgements we got in 1973 and 2018. This shouldn’t happen in a democracy”.