Land grabbing: Lawyers, police accused of complicity

A Muslim cleric, Mr Yaya Osuola, on Thursday accused  lawyers, police and traditional chiefs of  complicity in land grabbing in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osuola, the Grand Imam of Oriwu Central Mosque, Ikorodu, made the allegation at a Stakeholders Meeting on Land Grabbers.

The event was held at the Ikorodu Town Hall.

The meeting organised by the Lagos State Special Taskforce on Land Grabbers had the theme: “Land Grabbers: The Law and Your Rights”.

Osuola said that land grabbers in Ikorodu should not be solely  blamed for illegal land acquisition.

“There is injustice on the part of family elders and the baales (traditional chiefs) due to their greed and selfish interests.

“We rely on the police but they have let us down, these land grabbers bribe them with land and money to subvert justice.

“Lawyers are dishonest and there are delays in justice delivery; justice delayed is justice denied.

“There is also the issue the non-recognition of  judgment or decisions of peacemakers such as  traditional chiefs, by the government.

“It is very disheartening that graduates are also becoming land grabbers in Ikorodu area,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Hakeem Odumosu,  said that the town hall meeting was convened to tackle land grabbing.

Odumosu was represented by an Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of Operations in Lagos,  Mr Oladotun Odugbona.

The commissioner of police said that land grabbing could not be done  without conspirators within.

“There are laws regarding land grabbing; our job is to arrest, investigate and prosecute.

“Anything done outside that is beyond the scope of police work,” he said.

Mr Shakiru Omolaja, a lawyer and representative of the Ikorodu branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, gave an insight into the law against land grabbing in Lagos State.

According to him,  Section 11 of the Lagos State Property Protection Law, 2016, prescribes  10 years’ imprisonment for anyone convicted of land grabbing.

In his address of welcome, Mr Owolabi Arole, the Coordinator of the Lagos State Special Taskforce on Land Grabbers, said that the town hall meeting was long overdue.

He said it was important to tackle  land grabbing in all parts of the state.

“If we do not nip this issue in the bud, it will become a bigger problem.

“That is why we called for this meeting,” Arole said.