Former federal lawmaker and prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Hon. Mashood Mustapha, has been formally arraigned before the High Court in Ilorin on charges of criminal defamation, conspiracy, and incitement. The charges stem from public statements and videos released by Mustapha following the controversial demolition of his property by the Kwara State Government in late 2024.
According to court documents filed by the Office of the Attorney General of Kwara State, Mustapha and his brother, Bolakale Mustapha, are accused of publishing materials deemed likely to disturb public peace and defame the person of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
The demolition of Mustapha’s shopping complex in Ilorin sparked widespread debate, with the state government citing zoning violations and encroachment on public land as justification. Mustapha, however, publicly condemned the action, alleging political persecution and abuse of power. His remarks, which included accusations of inflated government contracts and targeted harassment, were widely circulated on social media platforms.
A spokesperson for the Kwara State Government emphasized that the legal action is a response to what it described as “deliberate attempts to incite unrest and malign the integrity of the administration.” The petition initiating the case was reportedly filed by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media.
In response, a source close to Mustapha described the charges as “a calculated attempt to silence a vocal critic,” asserting that the former lawmaker’s comments were within his constitutional rights and reflective of broader concerns about governance and transparency in the state.