Stadium Eviction: Saraki’s club beg Kwara

Nigeria National League side Abubakar Bukola Saraki FC have asked the Kwara State Sports Council to give them until the end of the 2020/21 season before evicting them from the Kwara State Stadium, Ilorin.

The club accused the state’s sports council of playing politics with their eviction.ABS, in a statement signed by its Administrative Secretary, Funmilayo Owolabi, said the club was not evicted as a result of refusal to pay rent as there was no prior discussion or request to pay for the facilities it used at the stadium.

“We wish to correct the impression that we were evicted because of our refusal to pay rent for our office facility as we had no prior discussions or any requests by Kwara State Internal Revenue Service to pay for the facility.

“Our dealings with the KWIRS had been on the areas of tax payments, payment for the use of the stadium fields for our matches, in which we have continued to maintain our obligations.

“From the scenario in the last few months, it is evidently clear that muddling negotiations for payment and notice to vacate the facility for use by the sports commission depicts a clear case of contraction, which confirmed our fears of unseen forces and unsporting political undertones.“Meanwhile, we had requested the council to give us some time to look for alternative office accommodation and to allow the club complete the ongoing Nigeria National League season, which has only four matches to go,” part of the statement read.