Mimiko illegally evicted me, says Olanusi

The impeached Ondo State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, says Governor Olusegun Mimiko illegally ordered state officials to break into his residence to evacuate his property.

Olanusi said the governor gave the instruction without a prior court order.

The former deputy governor said this during an interview with our correspondent on Tuesday.

Olanusi, who was impeached for defecting to the All Progressives Congress two days to the presidential election, explained that he had been out of the country for a while and had not yet returned to Ondo State since his removal.

He said, “I was out of the country when they decided to impeach me. I was away for health reasons and only returned two weeks ago. Since I returned to Nigeria, I have not even been to Ondo State and have not been able to evacuate my things.

“I just received a call on Monday that some people acting on the orders of the governor broke into the deputy governor’s residence through the kitchen and evacuated all my things. They took all my belongings and those of my wife to an unknown destination.”

Olanusi said the proper thing for the governor to have done was to obtain a court order but the governor decided to toe the path of impunity.

“I know Mimiko did not get a court order before carrying out this illegality because courts in the state just called off their strike. I just learnt from one of my ex-aides that Mimiko is just attempting to get a court order in order to legalise what he has done.

“Mimiko could have informed me of this through the Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s Office, Kehinde Temikotan, but he failed to do so.”

However, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said there was nothing illegal about Olanusi’s eviction.

He said Olanusi had been given ample time to vacate the quarters since his impeachment over a month ago but refused to do so. Akinmade said part of the conditions of Olanusi’s impeachment was that he would no longer be allowed to live in the deputy governor’s residence.

He said, “The impeached deputy governor was ordered to vacate the residence immediately but refused to do so. The residence in question belongs to the state government and not to Alhaji Olanusi.”