By Adebisi Onanuga
The Lagos State Taskforce on Land Grabbers (LSTFLG) has been re-energised and positioned to swiftly attend to all petitions and conduct proper investigation concerning any case of land grabbing, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo has said.
Onigbanjo, who chairs the Taskforce, said it would no longer condone any breach of the laws.
He gave the assurance following the dislodgement of some persons suspected to be land grabbers by the task force from a portion of land measuring 1339.564 square metres situated on Iju Road in Agege Local government Area.
He said this was in continuation of the zero tolerance posture of the Sanwo-Olu administration against land grabbing in Lagos State.
Onigbanjo spoke while reviewing the report of the enforcement exercise carried out on the land on January 24 by officials of Taskforce and Police attached to Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit.
The Attorney-General said the suspected land grabbers had forcefully encroached and seized 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.
The Chairman explained that Mrs. Olatokunbo 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.
According to him, “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”.
While explaining the operation protocol of the Taskforce, Mr Onigbanjo stated that officials of LSTFLG on receiving the petition, 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”, the Chairman disclosed.
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Mr 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 urged members of the public to bring to the attention of the Taskforce on Land Grabbers any issue bordering on land grabbing by addressing such petition to his office or by calling the listed hotlines 09096667123, 09020085005.
He also advised residents especially land and property owners in the state to perfect title documents as well as all other legal documents pertaining to their properties.
He said that this will 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”, the Chairman 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 offenses”, Onigbanjo stated.
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