Lagos Sacks Land Grabbers from Agege Land, Advices Property Owners to Perfect Title Documents
In continuation of the zero tolerance posture of the Governor Babajide SanwoOlu administration against land grabbing in Lagos State, the Lagos State Task Force on Land Grabbers (LSTFLG) has dislodged some unnamed persons suspected to be land grabbers from a portion of land measuring 1339.564 square metres, situated on Iju Road in Agege Local government Area.
Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, who is also Chairman of the Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, disclosed this over the weekend, while reviewing the report of the enforcement exercise carried out on Friday, January 24, by officials of the Land Grabber Taskforce and Police Men attached to State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit.
According to a statement signed by Bakare
Bukola, Principal Public Affairs officer of LSTFLG, Mr. Onigbanjo said the suspected land grabbers had forcefully encroached and seized the land belonging to the Estate of one Mr. Moshood Olatokunbo (late) and prevented his widow, Mrs. Olabisi Olatokunbo and other Administrators of the Estate, from taking possession of the land.
Onigbanjo explained that Mrs. Olabisi Olatokunbo had petitioned his office through her solicitors, to report the persistent encroachment and disruption of work on the land by land grabbers, demanding justice and the right to take possession of her inheritance.
"The dislodgment and enforcement exercise, is as a result of the investigation carried out by the State Land Grabber Taskforce on the petition written against Mr. Fatai Okesiji and Mr. Lai Omotola of Master Reality International Concepts Limited, the alleged land grabbers", the LSTFLG Chairman said.
While explaining the operation protocol of the Taskforce, Onigbanjo stated that, officials of LSTFLG on receiving the petition from Mrs Olatokunbo, swung into action to establish the veracity or otherwise of the petition.
"The outcome of the painstaking investigation, showed that the petitioner is the rightful owner of the land having submitted a verified original deed of assignment, composite survey plan and approved building plan, whereas, the Respondents could not come up with any authentic document to back up their claim to the land", he stated.
Onigbanjo further explained that, the LSTLG during the dislodgement exercise, pulled down all illegal structures erected by the suspected land grabbers, adding that, the land has since been returned to the rightful owner immediately after the exercise.
He also noted that, the State Taskforce on Land Grabbers has been re-energised, and positioned to swiftly attend to all petitions and conduct proper investigations concerning any case of land grabbing. He added that, taskforce will not condone perpetration of any act inimical to the laws of the State.
While urging members of the public to bring to the attention of the Taskforce on Land Grabbers, any issue bordering on land grabbing by addressing such petitions to his office or by calling the listed hotlines 09096667123, 09020085005, he advised residents, especially land and property owners in the State, to perfect their title documents, as well as all other legal documents pertaining to their properties.
He noted that, this would help dissuade land grabbers from their illicit trade, and ensure easy administration of justice in the event that such properties are encroached upon.
“Undocumented and incomplete transactions, as well as untidy property documentation, make it difficult for encroached property to be retrieved when such becomes a subject of litigation.
"The case of Mrs. Olabisi Olatokunbo has proved that, property forcibly and illegally seized by Land Grabbers, can be retrieved with minimal effort when Title documents on such properties are perfected”, Onigbanjo said.
He reiterated the commitment and renewed drive of the present administration, to put an end to the illicit activities of land encroachers and grabbers in Lagos State.
“I wish to remind residents that, the Lagos State Property Protection Law of 2016 is in full swing. This law which prohibits forceful entry and illegal occupation of landed properties, violent and fraudulent conducts in relation to landed properties in Lagos State, prescribes severe penalties with various prison terms, for different offences”, Onigbanjo stated.