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Land Grabbing: Stakeholders fingers Nigerian Police collaboration, proposes stiffer penalty

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3 years ago

December 20, 2020

Olu Emmanuel

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Stakeholders at a day public hearing on land grabbing have called for full implementation of the 1978 Land Use Act .

The public hearing on the matter, held at the Lagos Assembly Pavilion on Wednesday 23rd December, is tagged; “Ways to Check The Resurgent Activities on Land Grabbers in the state.”

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands, Mr. Bode Agoro blazed the trail, saying that there should be stiffer punishment for land grabbing in the state, and that option of fine should be expunged from the law.

Representative of Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Chief Sasore of Lagos noted that the Land Use Act promulgated by former president Olusegun Obasanjo as military head of state was not implemented as the law did not permit people to use the land of other people.

Sasore added that some Baales have not done well as they sell land to multiple people and people result to violence and forceful encroachment, so the might is right stance takes the centre stage.

“The government should do proper layout and provide infrastructure for the people and do things to improve the economy of the state, provide job for the youth to reduce the rate they are being coopted into the land grabbing thing.

Mr. Peter Oluwafemi Ajayi, another stakeholder said that the laws of the state were not properly enforced and that law enforcement agents should be up and doing, while stressing that if government officials were not obeying the law then there is problem.

State Secretary of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Lagos State, Comrade Akeem Kazeem said that land grabbers had taken over the workers village created for workers in Ayobo, Ipaja area of the state.

He however, counseled that for efficiency, the anti land grabbers special task force office should be increased to cover the five divisions in Lagos State as the one in existence is grossly inadequate, he added that more hands should be recruited with an increase of operational vehicles for quick response.

Mr. Adegoke Oyetunde, a lecturer said that some traditional rulers invite land grabbers into the community as their protectors and that they would later misbehave.

“There must be punitive measure to every law, but effectiveness is very important. How we effect the punitive measure is very important,” he said.

On his part, an estate developer, Mr. Adebare Murphy (Topaz) said that there is no land grabber without the support of the government.

Murphy emphasised that the government should look into land use act, and that the act did not allow the government to seize people’s land.

‘They work with Land Bureau and NTDA. People would just come to claim 500 or 2000 hectares of land.

“Land Use Act of May 29, 1978 says it is for public use it is not for the government to sell land to other people.

“They did it for us in Ajah and they have taken the land of the people all over the state and drive the people away.

“The lawmakers should look at the source of the land grabbers. They sell the land to other people without using them for the purposes they are meant for,” he said.

Mrs. Omolara Thomas Aigbe from Gbode Gbaga Kekere off Ijede Road, Ikorodu said that land grabbers took over her two plots of land that is worth about N5 Million, and that traditional rulers should rise to the occasion and save people from suffering.

In his comment, Chief Victor Oludare Akinsanya Baale of Salabo, Imota said that they had issues in Salabo in Imota and that they were being troubled by some hoodlums in the area.

Chief Sikiru Olorunnisola Cole, Baale of Iranla stated that not all Baales sell land, and that the office is a continuum.

“Some Baales that sold land would have died and they would indict the incumbent Baale. Some NTDA staffs are the cause of the problems.

“We were in a case for five years with the wife of Prince Bola Ajibola over some pieces of land. They are working on the land at the moment.

“Many people get lands from the government for agric purposes and they will start selling the land for building. I have left the town for fear of my lives on many occasions,” he said.

Chief Joseph Adekunle Keshinro, Baale Gedegede in Eti-Osa said that it all had to do with the government, who he said did not follow the provisions in the Land Use Decree.

Keshinro said that the government once took their land in a coastal area and that the government gave them a resettlement.

“They cut 750 hectares of land to 375 hectares of land. They started the land that they used as resettlement for the people in the coastal area.

“They stole our land and the law does not permit anyone to settle resettlement land. We have got across to the government, yet they have not done anything for us.

If you want to sell land, you should identify the owners of the land. Land grabbers and police work together so there is nothing they can do to help us.

“The only solution is to go back to Land Use Decree. The government has all the laws and the map of the state,” he said.

Alhaji Chief Okunmoyinbo Mustapha, Baale of Alasia Town, Eti Osa East said that the government knows most of the land grabbers, and also urged the government to go back to Land Use Act.

Mrs. Aminat Giwa also lamented that government officials keep some lands that they claim belong to the government and they would forcefully take over the land.

Giwa said that she got to her land in 2009 and they came to take it over in 2018.

There was the pathetic story of a blind man, Mr. Kehinde Agboola, who said that someone encroached into his land and built a big house on the land.

“He was a commissioner and he was a Director of Health Insurance under former president Goodluck Jonathan. In 2017, I wrote him through my lawyer that I am not fighting him and that I am a blind man.

“The letter was received by his neighbour then as he had EFCC problem at that time.

‘He panicked then because he thought this could expose him. The person that received the letter knows me and when he came to me, I told him to talk to him to give me money to help me get another land somewhere, but he has not done so,” he said.

Agboola said that he went to appeal to him, but that he did not bulge.

He added that the man tried to meet him, when he had EFCC case and that he promised to compensate him that he did not want to go to court because of his case in court.

“I want the people concerned to help and come to my case. Where I am staying now I am owing three years rent, my children are in the university.

“I have been begging to survive, I stay in Coker Aguda in Surulere area of Lagos. I need help to survive and I have all my documents with me. He went over the fence and gate to build on my land,” he said.

Kunle Adelabu, a journalist from a community newspaper in Ikorodu, spoke about Oriwu College in Ikorodu, and said that the school compound was being encroached upon.

“Some guys recently came and pulled down the fence of the school and took over some parts of the land of the school.

“I am am alumnus of the school and the school is the best in Nigeria at the moment.

“The land was donated to the college by Ikorodu and Igbogbo. The government should beam their searchlights on some ministries including land and physical planning. Some of their officials collude with land grabbers on land in the state,” he said.

Alhaji AbdulRasak Olayiwola Oniposi, a management consultant, said that land grabbing is taking somebody’s property without his or her consent.

He said that once someone takes something that does not belong to him then there would be problem and that injustice is a threat to justice.

Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of the House Adhoc Committee on Land Grabbing issue, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade said that everybody knows how important land is today, which is why the House called the special public hearing.

“That is why we called you to brainstorm on the matter so that we could come up with a viable law on it. It is not a usual public hearing. It is on how to curtail the dangerous activities of land grabbers in the state.

“We once passed a private member law, which is Property Protection Law. We also have Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers.

“The people of the state experienced a respite after these before land grabbers took over again,” he said.

Agunbiade stated that what was worrisome was that land grabbing is resurfacing with impunity in the state disturbing real estate business.

“Many innocent people have been dispossessed of their property in the state. While one petition is being treated 10 other petitions on land grabbing are being sent to the Assembly.

Land is to Lagos State what crude oil is to Nigeria. Whatever threatens land in Lagos State threatens Lagos State and its citizens,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, representing the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa said that it was alleged that some government officials also grab land by exaggerating on the plots of land acquired by the state government only to sell the excesses.

“All these should be addressed by the new law to be considered by the state Assembly. We want you to state all your experiences to reduce land grabbing in the state.

Land is very important to the economy of Lagos State. We value land more than oil in the state.

“For the people of the state to live in peace we have to discuss to know what to do about land in the state. We need to know what to do stop these excesses.

“This house has exclusive legislative framework by working on necessary laws to battle land grabbers in Lagos State.

“Legislative functions is the bedrock of a democratic government. Regardless or how good or encompassing a law may be, the pride of the law is the practicability of the law?.

“Laws should effectively address the need of the people. We sit here to address the practicability of the Lagos State Property Law of 2016. Sections 2 to 3 prohibits forceful and illegal entering of another man’s land. Section 4 criminalises illegal occupation of properties,” he said.