Business Owners Laments as Kwara State Government Issues 3-Hours Eviction Notice for Demolition of Moshood Mustapha’s Crystal Place Mall

By Omowumi Omotosho and Kazeem Abdulateef

Business owners at the Crystal Place Mall along Sulu-Gambari Road, Ilorin, owned by Hon. Moshood Mustapha, a former member of the Federal House of Representatives, were thrown into panic on Saturday after receiving a sudden three-hour notice to vacate the premises.

According to findings, the directive came from the General Manager of the Kwara state Bureau of Land and the General Manager of Kwara state Town Planning, signaling the government’s intention to demolish the complex.

The abruptness of the notice has sparked widespread concern among the mall’s business owners, many of whom say the limited time given is insufficient to secure their investments.

A business owner, speaking anonymously, expressed frustration over the situation. “We were not notified in advance. We were here yesterday conducting business as usual, and this morning we were suddenly told we have just three hours to pack our goods. It is unfair. We are destabilized. Imagine if we hadn’t come to the office today—what could have happened to us?”

Another shop owner, who also requested anonymity to avoid conflict with the authorities, voiced deep disappointment: “This is unfair and uncalled for. It’s uncivilized. They didn’t give us prior notice, and now they expect us to move everything in just three hours. Why give us a verbal notice abd want us to move on the same day? I’m in pain.”

Other shop owners refused to talk to media as they were visibly in pained due to the tension mounted on them with abrupt 3-hours eviction notice.

However, adding to the chorus of concerns, one of the media aides to Moshood Mustapha, Alanamu Abiola Kazeem, shared his perspective on the incident. “What really transpired this morning is that, it was around past 11 a.m. and it was raining, so we saw the GM of the Bureau of Land and the General Manager of town Planning. They were going into some shops at Crystal Place Complex on Sulu Gambari Road, Ilorin, which belongs to an APC chieftain Hon. Moshood Mustapha.

“They were asking the shop owners to vacate the facilities within the next three hours, saying they were coming to seal the place. There was no formal notice. They didn’t notify anybody in advance. They just came this morning and said in the next three hours they were shutting down the place,” he said.

Kazeem further assured that the management team is actively addressing the situation. “The management teams are on top of the situation, and as time goes on, they will give the media further updates,” he added.

Also, there was a protest within the complex premises by a group of concerned citizens, who voiced their opposition to the planned demolition. As they gathered, their chants echoed through the area, pleading, “Rahmon, be merciful,” urging the authorities to reconsider their decision.

Nationalpilot recalls that this incident follows a similar exercise in May when the Kwara State Government carried out a demolition in the state capital, leading to the destruction of shops and properties worth millions of naira. That event sparked widespread reactions from affected business owners and residents, many of whom felt they were not adequately compensated or given sufficient time to prepare.

During the May demolition, Crystal Place Mall, located on Sulu-Gambari Road, was partially affected, with its fence and part of the building demolished. The complex, owned by Hon. Moshood Mustapha, has since been the subject of political speculation, with Mustapha accusing the state government of targeting him for political reasons.

In a viral five-minute video clip, Hon. Mustapha expressed his belief that the demolition exercise is politically motivated.

“We all know it is political. The governor has taken a position against me. To destroy me economically. What he did this morning is a testament to who he is, he is a destroyer. Let him continue, his time is running out. I believe in God and my people of Kwara, things will be better, we will get rid of this government at the appropriate time in a democratic manner,” he stated.

The sudden eviction and looming demolition have left many business owners scrambling to safeguard their goods, while others remain in a state of uncertainty about the future of their businesses as the government moves forward with its plans.