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Public Pressure Mounts: Kwara North Residents Launch Petition To Remove Water Resources Commissioner Over Controversial Legal Action
Organizers of the campaign allege that Lade’s lawsuits are a “misuse of public office” intended to silence scrutiny regarding the rehabilitation of the Lafiagi waterworks project.
Ilorin, Kwara State– A growing public discontent has erupted in Kwara North, where residents have launched an online petition demanding the removal of the Kwara State Commissioner for Water Resources, Usman Yunusa Lade, over what they describe as “a lack of transparency and accountability” in the management of a key water project in Lafiagi.
The petition, titled “Kwara North Public Petition: Call for the Removal of Hon. Usman Lade,” accuses the Commissioner of attempting to suppress press freedom by initiating two separate legal actions—a ₦10 million civil defamation suit and a criminal complaint seeking imprisonment—against a local media platform, NupekoTV-Lafiagi.
Organizers of the campaign allege that Lade’s lawsuits are a “misuse of public office” intended to silence scrutiny regarding the rehabilitation of the Lafiagi waterworks project.
According to them, the Commissioner “claimed to have completed the project despite no visible work done on the site,” a claim that has fueled anger among residents still struggling with water shortages.
“This petition represents the voice of ordinary people who deserve accountability,” said one of the initiators, who described Lade’s conduct as “a betrayal of public trust.”
The petition, which has begun circulating widely across social media and community groups, urges the state government to take immediate action.
“Your feedback will help amplify the voice of the people and push for the kind of leadership Kwara North truly deserves,” it reads.
Earlier, Afrika Eyes reported that the Kwara State Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Usman Yunusa Lade, has filed a direct criminal complaint against the Editor-in-Chief and sole proprietor of NUPEKOTV-Lafiagi, Tauheed Baruwa Muhammed, over an alleged defamatory publication on Facebook.
The case, brought before the Chief Magistrate Court of Kwara State, Ilorin Magisterial District, accuses Muhammed of publishing and circulating a libelous report titled “Hon. Usman Lade, Kwara Commissioner for Water Resources Under Fire for Mismanagement and Neglect.”
In the complaint filed through his counsel, Lade alleged that the post falsely accused him of financial embezzlement, impropriety, negligence, and mismanagement in the discharge of his duties.
The Commissioner claimed the publication was driven by malice and was aimed at tarnishing his image before the public.
According to the court document, the publication was not only shared on the NUPEKOTV-Lafiagi Facebook page, which boasts over 27,000 followers, but was also allegedly republished and circulated across other social media platforms and WhatsApp groups controlled by the defendant, “ensuring wide readership and maximum reputational damage.”
Lade’s counsel stated that several appeals were made to the defendant to retract the story and issue a public apology, but all efforts were ignored.
Instead, the defendant allegedly intensified his online attacks in 2025, engaging in acts described as harassment and criminal intimidation.
