Emir of Ilorin Declares Ita-Nmo Market Land Public Asset, Confirms Saraki’s Historic Donation
The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR, has formally dismissed recent claims of private ownership over the Ita-Nmo Market land, declaring such assertions null and void.
In a clarifying statement released on Friday, the monarch provided a detailed historical account of the land’s acquisition, stressing that the property is a public asset donated more than two decades ago for the economic development of the Ilorin Emirate.
According to the Emir, the land, located in Ubandawaki Ward, was voluntarily donated to the traditional institution by the late Waziri of Ilorin, Oloye (Dr.) Abubakar Olusola Saraki, in response to a communal challenge involving traders displaced from the old Agor Market.
The statement jointly signed by his Personal aide and Spokesperson, Murtala Raheem and Abdulazeez Arowona explained that about twenty years ago, the Ilorin West Local Government, under the chairmanship of Hon. Muhammad Toyin Sanusi, initiated an urban renewal project aimed at decongesting the Oja-Oba area. As the exercise threatened the livelihoods of traders operating in the Agor Market, they appealed to the Emir for intervention.
“In his characteristic philanthropic and patriotic spirit, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki made land available at the Ita-Nmo area specifically to resettle the affected traders,” the monarch said.
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To ensure proper administrative control and transparency, the Emir subsequently transferred the land to the Ilorin West Local Government Area. He further disclosed that he personally visited the Ita-Nmo site to formally validate the handover, thereby reinforcing the traditional and communal authority underpinning the designation of the land for public use.
Following the transfer, the local government constituted a high-powered committee to oversee the development of the market. Trading stalls and spaces were transparently allocated to eligible traders relocated from the Agor Market, while the council also completed the construction of a perimeter fence and established designated commercial zones that have been in open and continuous use for many years.
Describing the renewed ownership controversy as unwarranted and inappropriate, the Emir urged individuals or families laying claim to the land to be guided by the documented history of its acquisition.
“The land remains a public asset dedicated to the economic enhancement of Ilorin,” the statement affirmed, noting that the process followed established protocols under which land is vested in constituted authorities for public use in the interest of social harmony and economic stability.
The Emir’s intervention is expected to put a definitive end to lingering disputes surrounding the Ita-Nmo Market, ensuring its continued role as a vital commercial hub serving the people of Ilorin and its environs.
By PRNigeria
