The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Land

  • Baale of Magodo abducted

    The Baale of Shangisha in Magodo, Lagos Mainland, Chief Mutiu Ogundare was on Wednesday abducted by three men along Center for Management Development (CMD) Road, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
    Ogundare was said to have received a telephone from supposed developers, who had indicated interest in a landed property within his domain.
    The callers were said to have told the Baale where to meet them, prompting Ogundare to drive to the address with one of his brothers.
    On arriving the location, the three men, it was gathered, appealed to the Baale and his brother to join them in their White Toyota Venza vehicle so that they could go check out the land.
    But on their way, it was gathered that the Baale’s brother noticed that one of the men had a gun on him and he raised alarm.
    It was learnt that the suspected kidnappers pushed him out of the vehicle and sped off with the Baale.
    Ogundare’s brother, it was gathered, went to the police station and reported the kidnap.
    Contacted, the command’s spokesman, Olarinde Famous-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) said it was not a kidnap.
    He said there has been protracted dispute between Ogundare, one Shittu Lawal and another person.
    According to Famous-Cole, it was a case of rivalry between two Baales, adding that investigation had commenced.
    He said: “The White Venza had no registration number. They drove to CMD Guest House to meet the people who called that they wanted to check a land. It was there that they joined the suspect’s vehicle on appeal so that they could take them to the land. I cannot say if the Baale has regained freedom unless I receive additional information from the men in the field.”

  • ‘Save us from land grabbers’

    The Provost, Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), Ondo State, Dr Samson Odedina, has reiterated his appeal to stakeholders of the oldest tertiary institution in the state to save its land from further encroachment.

    He said the Federal Government was against those individuals who allegedly invaded the agriculture institution and destroyed properties to claim ownership of its land.

    Odedina said the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, mandated the college management to vigorously pursue the case pending at the Appeal Court.

    Ogbeh, through the Director of Legal Services (DLS), Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Thompson Olatide , decried how some notable individuals allegedly brought bulldozers to destroy FECA farms to lay claim to its land.

    He said: “There had been a land judgement against the college before the assumption of the present management.  The institution that had produced many notable Nigerians was originally established on a 1000-hectare of land, but reduced to 375 hectares by land grabbers.”

    Odedina, while receiving an award of ‘Pacesetter in Education for African Reinaissance and Leadership’ presented by Pearl Group, said the land judgement, which was not appealed by his predecessors, led to the grabbing of another 113 hectares of the remaining land that accommodated the Provost’s quarters, a guest house, and two water dams among other properties.

    He said the college management instituted an appeal process immediately he took office as Provost, adding that the case is now ‘safely’ in the Appeal Court with injunction on the appeal and stay of execution pending before it.

    He appealed to security agencies to rescue the college by further preventing the destruction of its properties.

    Odedina said the development was to re-claim the college land that was acquired and gazzetted since 1949 in the interest of the incoming generations.

    The provost appreciated Chief Ogbeh, Governor Olurotimi Akeredolu and Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo, for their prompt intervention in the protracted land dispute.

    He dedicated the award to students and members of staff of the college.

  • Lagos warns Lekki-Epe land trespassers

    The Lagos State Government yesterday warned illegal developers and land speculators in the Lekki-Epe corridor to stop forthwith their unlawful activities or face the law.

    Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Co-operative, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye gave the warning when he toured the area where the 16,347 hectares Lekki Free Zone (LFZ) project is sited.

    The government, he said, was worried by the trespassers activities who have been swindling buyers. The land he said, was under acquisition.

    Ogunleye explained that buyers who did not do “proper investigation at the Land Bureau and the Surveyor General’s Office” risked losing their money. Besides being being acquired, the land, he said, was committed to LFZ projects, the resettlement of affected communities and other schemes.

    He noted that signposts of private estates, private universities, companies, a military zone and host of others were some of the “visible encroachments” on the land.

    The commissioner said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had approved that stern measures be taken against the illegal developers and the structures removed.

    Ogunleye advised the public to be wary of dubious advertisements on “land purchase beside the Lekki Free Zone” sponsored by private estate developers on almost all radio stations in the state.

    He said the development projects the land was acquired for were in progress, citing the LFZ project and Dangote Refinery and Petrol Chemical Plant as part of the multi-billion dollars investments there.

  • ‘Save us from land grabbers’

    Residents of Abijo  community  in Ibeju  Lekki  Local  Government Area  of Lagos  State  have called on the government to   save  them  from  land grabbers’ hands.

    The land grabbers, they claimed, have been terrorising them for years.

    According to Oluomo  of  Ibeju land, Chief   Talabi Salawu, the land grabbers  descend   on  the  community   at will, dispossessing  the  residents  of  their  land and other  valuables.

    He said: “They come at odd hours with dangerous weapons, beating and maiming the residents, dispossessing us of land and other valuables. This is in spite of the fact that we have a case against them in court. During their attack last week, my son was severely wounded. These are cases we have reported to police severally   with no solution in sight. Our   major dilemma is that the attackers are not relenting.’’

  • Ex-Rep, kinsmen battle over land, kingship

    Ex-Rep, kinsmen battle over land, kingship

    A land/ kingship tussle has torn apart ex-Rep Ned Nwoko and his kinsmen.  The battle is now before the court, writes Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

    Idumuje-Ugboko community, Aniocha North Local Government Area in Delta State has murdered sleep. No thanks to a land/kingship tussle between an ex-federal lawmaker Prince Ned Nwoko and Crown Prince Nonso Nwoko.

    Several families have been displaced from their homes following attacks. So much bad blood has been generated by the impasse that the women groups have joined the fray with a tit-for-tat invoking of ancestral curses on those loyal to the contending parties.

    Walter Eziashi – Ex-President General Idumuje-Ugboko Community, in a statement in Asaba, the Delta State capital, debunked insinuations that Ned Nwoko was interested in becoming the king or  is sponsoring any candidate for the kingship position, stressing that the  Idumuje-Ugboko royal throne is by qualification and not by sponsorship.

    According to him, the issue at stake is the kingship tussle between Crown Prince Nonso Nwoko and Prince Uche Nwoko, adding that tradition prescribes that the first surviving male child ascends the throne.

    He said: “By our tradition, it is always the surviving first son that becomes the Obi whose mother must be an indigene. The two contenders are Prince Nonso whose mother is from Ubulu-Uku and Prince Uche whose mother is from Idumuje-Ugboko. If we go down history the first Obi was Obi Nwoko 1, his first son was Prince Omouju, he never ascended the throne because his mother was not an Ugboko woman, but he married an Ugboko woman knowing what he suffered, he married from a village called Ugboufu from the Okoh family and Omousi was their offspring. Omousi was crowned an Obi. Omousi’s first son was Obi Nkeze whose mother was from Atuma in Idumuje-Ugboko. When Obi Nkeze died in 1955, the issue of succession came up, because the actual first son of Obi Nkeze died, it fell on Prince Albert Nwoko and there was a tussle and between 1955 and 1981 Ugboko was governed by a regent, because the mother of the surviving first son was not a native of Ugboko, but from Ugbodu. The man who would have become king, Prof Demas Nwoko declined the position. So the mother of the man interested in the kingship was from Idumuje-Unor and was ineligible, but to resolve the logjam, our elders agreed that Obi Albert rule with a proviso that he must marry an Ugboko woman that would succeed him. And this led to Obi Albert after coronation in 1981 marrying his first wife who was childless, but his second wife gave him a male child called Prince Uche Nwoko who attends Command Secondary school, Ebonyi State.”

    He went on: “ There are other contending issues, in our culture if you have a criminal matter hanging on you , if you have challenges of dishonesty  especially dishonesty that carries a sentence of not less than two years ,so whatever title you hold you are stripped of it. Let us even agree that there will be a waiver on the kingship tussle, but there has been a case of forgery that has been on since 2015 against Prince Nonso. He was invited by the Delta State Police Command, the DPP says he has a case to answer and was charged to court and the case is ongoing, the prosecution has almost completed its case just for Nonso to open his defence. There is case of stealing, a case of breaking and entry running to two years now and a case of compounding felony to do with the rape of a 15 year old girl in the palace. We are saying that no sane community will allow a man with criminal charges to become their king”.

    The Iyase of Idumuje-Ugboko, Chris Ogwu, blamed the crisis on Crown Prince Nonso Nwoko, alleging that several meetings called by elders of the community to resolve issues were turned down by the Crown Prince.

    But Crown Prince Nonso Nwoko dismissed the idea that there was a kingship tussle over the throne, stressing that the whole crisis revolves around the issue of land.

    His words: “The issue revolves around land. Every other thing you hear about the crisis is because of land. In fact I will summarise it by saying if we were to take all the land he wants and give to him (Ned), the crisis will vanish. More than ten year ago, he (Ned) was given over 30 hectares of land to build a ranch and a dairy factory and in this community there are so many young men, so our fathers in their wisdom gave him land. But he did not have any such intention to build any ranch or dairy farm, instead he converted that expanse of land to his private estate without coming back to the community to ask for a change of use. He was pampered because as a member of the royal family he got advantages that could not be extended to other persons, but let them down badly. The other members of the community are still complaining about his misuse of community land. I know that at a meeting of the Izuani, my uncles were struggling so hard to defend that decision”.

    The Crown Prince did not spare the Delta State Police Command headed by Mr. Zanna Ibrahim for having compromised, saying: “The Delta Police Command has been seriously compromised on this matter, it is for this reason we moved the case to the A.I.G’s office in Benin-City. After the burial rites of the late Obi had been perform we were trying to hold an Izuani meeting (community meeting), the next thing was that we were attacked by thugs imported from outside the community and disrupted the meeting with the police standing by and doing nothing, after I implored the police to protect us they refused saying that the atmosphere was charged and that it will not be proper to continue the meeting because it will lead to a break- down of law and order. The Delta Police demanded we give them a 24 hour notice if we want to hold another meeting. To this request, we acceded, but on the day the meeting was to hold despite the presence of the police, local government chairman and others the thugs would not let the meeting hold despite the presence of the police.”

    Prince Ned Nwoko, who represented Aniocha/Oshimili, denied his involvement in the crisis, saying that he did not sponsor anybody to cause crisis in the community.

    He said: “The town’s meeting was a diversionary effort from the serious allegations over the death of the Obi. The crisis arose because there is a tussle for the kingship after the death of Obi Albert Nwoko three months ago.

    “The wives of the late Obi petitioned the Inspector General of Police over the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the King. The state command’s effort to investigate the matter has been frustrated by Nonso and co who refused all invitations for questioning.

    “Instead he resorted to calling a town’s meeting without the Chiefs (who already have a High Court injunction against him and others). The beating of the Chiefs at the meeting was the beginning of the crisis.

    “I wasn’t there but the Commissioner of Police in the State and the Assistant Inspector General, Benin will give you details if the kidnappings of the Chiefs and others opposed to Nonso and the subsequent vandalisation of their cars and properties.

    “One Okada man (motorcycle operator) named Cyprian was killed in the palace. His boys have been arrested and charged with various offenses.

    “The only zoo in Delta is there, we have the fish pond, the poultry, providing jobs for the people. I initially earmarked N2 billion but I ended up spending over N10 billion. I have fully utilized the land given to me for the purpose it was meant for.

    “We are fighting a civilised fight in the court over the land issue, and we are civilized enough to wait for the decision if the courts,” he said.

  • Reps to investigate AGIS over land allocation

    The House of Representatives is set to investigate the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) over its alleged failure to process land applications for scores of Nigerians in the six Area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The lawmakers complained that AGIS’ refusal to process land applications in the Area councils through the Accelerated Area Councils and Sectional Title Reissuance Scheme (AACSTRIS) has denied many of their Certificates of Occupancy (C of O).

    The lawmakers insisted that the investigation was meant to ascertaining the amount generated and remitted (if any) by the Scheme from inception to date, the operational costs of the Scheme from inception to date, the number of applications received, the number of applications verified or processed and any challenges facing the Scheme, and make appropriate recommendations.

    The proposed investigation followed the adoption of a motion by Olatubosun Olajide  (APC, Oyo), who noted that AACSTRIS was established by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to fast-track the processing of applications for the issuance of C of O for land located at the Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    He said, “The original plan was that while AACSTRIS, which is manned by private consultants appointed by the FCTA, will be processing the huge backlog of applications relating to Area Councils’ land or property, the AGIS will be producing the C of Os of successful applicants.

    “Under the scheme, members of the public with valid or genuine ownership of land or property in the Area Councils were required to apply for revalidation and processing of their C of Os on payment of the non-refundable fee of ¦ 100,000 only per application. However, since the establishment of the scheme, thousands of Nigerians who are desirous of perfecting their title documents to land or property located in the Area Councils have applied and paid the prescribed fees, which run into billions of Naira without getting any commensurate service from AACSTRIS which appears to have derailed from its mandate and is now just serving as a platform for generating revenue for successive FCT Administrations.

    “It is of concern that the failure of AACSTRIS and AGIS to fast track the processing of C of Os of genuine land and property owners who are qualified, has encouraged the fraudulent practices that are often associated with the processing of Area Councils C of Os in the FCT, Abuja and wonders why despite the failure of AACSTRIS to discharge its mandate effectively and efficiently to the public, successive FCT Administrations have retained the services of the consultant manning the Agency”.

    Committee on Federal Capital Territory Area Councils and Ancillary Matters that was mandated to undertake the investigation was given eight weeks to report back for further legislative action.

  • ‘How we handle land grabbing cases’

    ‘How we handle land grabbing cases’

    ‘In handling cases, we first employ the method of mediation which has surprisingly been the most successful before we move on to others. A lot of people get frustrated about the time it takes to go to court but we have, more or less, provided them an alternative
    and most times they co-operate’.

    Major role of Task Force

    The major role of the task force is to eliminate the menace of land grabbing in Lagos State by implementing the provisions of the Lagos State Properties Protection Law 2016, which has prescribed various terms of imprisonment for the crimes under the law.

    Petitions treated

    since inauguration

    We have received about 1,300 petitions from the public since the Task Force was inaugurated and we have resolved up to 400 of them. We are not resting on our oars as work is currently ongoing on others.

    Methods adopted

    in handling cases

    We use various means in resolving these issues such as reconciliation, mediation and we have had to use force in some places. We have made arrests; there are some places under investigation. We also have a few cases in court.

    Parties’ response

    to cases treated

    In handling cases, we first employ the method of mediation which has surprisingly been the most successful before we move on to others. A lot of people get frustrated about the time it takes to go to court but we have, more or less, provided them an alternative and most times they co-operate.

    People understand that we have the force of law and government backing. So, whenever we call them for discussions, both parties usually have it at the back of their mind that this is government talking to them.

    A lot of time, we have found out that majority of these issues emanate from lack of communication. So, we provide the parties with the opportunities to talk together. Whenever we hold such discussions, we make the parties to enter into memorandum of understanding which is binding.

    Use of charms by Omo Onile

    I’ve heard people say it and each time they do, I just retort to them that here, we work with physical things. For instance, if harm was done to you by machetes, we can deal with that but we can’t deal with whatever we can’t see.

    So far, we have heard such allegations but never encountered any. When we go out on operations, the people warn us that those we want to go and confront are fetish and powerful. However, those things have never affected us; maybe because we don’t believe in them. We don’t have any mechanism in tackling them; we only deal with physical things.

    Rent from landlords

    after land purchase

    Whatever people do by way of agreement, I mean if they agree among themselves that after buying, you’ll pay a rent every year, all they are saying is that your land is a lease; you are not paying me outright payment.

    In some places, it is as low as N500; just a little amount to show that you are a tenant on the land. A case like that is completely legal and we have no issue with it. Where we have problem is when there is no agreement to that effect and somebody just wakes up and say you have to pay me for this land. That kind of person will have to face the Lagos State government.

    Challenges

    The major challenge faced by the task force is in relation to the police. The culture of the parties to land disputes using the police against one another had been so engrained that it has become difficult for some of the various police formations to accept that they don’t have the power to deal with land disputes other than to ensure that law and order are maintained.

    There is also the problem of lawyers aiding and abetting land grabbers in the name of carrying out a brief. We have thus received many court summons challenging our powers, especially when their clients are in the wrong side of the law.

    There’s also the challenge of lack of land documentation for many of our people in Lagos State.  We, therefore, take this opportunity to advise our people to take steps to document their land holding with Lands Bureau.

    Demolition of

    Otodo Gbame community

    I am not speaking for the government on this because I don’t have a brief. But what we have discovered in the course of our work is that when people are allowed to stay in a place for a long period of time, they tend to take ownership of the place. When such people settle, they erect buildings that don’t have government’s approval.

    They cannot approach the government for approval because they are not entitled to the land and various administrations allow them to stay in compassion and that is when such people start to feel they have right to the land; meanwhile they don’t. That is the case in many shanties in Lagos and government cannot fold its arms to the dangers of living conditions in these places. I am sure that some panacea will be provided for them in resettlement.

    Seeking redress

    The law specifically requires that anybody who has a grievance should send a petition to us; addressed to the Chairman of Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers and we can take it up from there. They should put in their petition all the details, facts, supporting documents on the land in question and they should make effort at including details of those they are accusing so that we will know who we are dealing with.

    They should also accompany their petition with an affidavit. The law requires that they bring along sworn affidavit so that we could punish those who bring us frivolous petitions. We have received many petitions in which it is the land grabber who is writing petition against the actual owner of the land; thinking that they can come and tell us lies. The affidavit will affirm that they have lied and that is punishable under the Lagos State law.

    Contacts

    Yes, whenever they are in actual distress, they can call us on 09020085005, 09096667123.

  • Ondo communities clash over land

    Okerisa-Aruwayo and Iwada, two neighbouring communities near Igbotako in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State are in dispute over a piece of land.

    Already, concerned residents of Okerisa-Aruwayo have urged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and security agents to rescue them from the people of Iwada community as they are reportedly fleeing the community because of incessant attacks.

    Spokesman of the community, Morakinyo Erifoluwa alleged that the ‘invaders’ stormed the village penultimate weekend, driving the inhabitants away from their ancestral homes.

    He said: “On the morning of Thursday, someone told us that the road to our village had been barricaded but we did not believe it.

    “On Friday, however, around 7:00 p.m., we heard several gunshots. We did not know what to do. Everybody ran helter-skelter for dear lives.

    “It was later we learnt that the invaders were from Iwada, our neigbouring village. They have been terrorising us and causing trouble for our people.”

    Morakinyo, who said the village was attacked because of land dispute pending at the Court of Appeal in Akure said the invasion was unreasonable.

    He said: “In March 2015, one of our sons, an undergraduate, was murdered on the land and his corpse could not be recovered till today.

    “On March 23, last year, the Okitipupa High Court ceded a portion of our land to the Iwada people. Not satisfied with the judgment; we proceeded to the Appeal Court for redress.

    “Since the case is before the court, our people have stayed away from the land even as the people of Iwada are harvesting our cash crops in contempt of the court. We wonder why they keep on attacking us.”

    According to him, the case was reported to the head of the community, Chief Albert Epebinu at Ilutitun who mobilised a team of young men to the village and assess the extent of damage done to their properties.

    He said when they got to the village, they discovered that their buildings had been vandalised with food stuffs and valuables carted away, stressing that the case was then reported at the Igbotako Police Station.

    Morakinyo pointed out that policemen were deployed to the scene and they saw things for

    themselves.

    Among items they allegedly carted away were one big power generating set, seven spraying machines; 13 rolls of yam tubers from a barn, 15 (20 litters) kegs of palm oil, garri frying trays, among other things.

    Epebinu confirmed the story of a disputed land between the two communities, and wondered why this should happen when his people have dwelled on the land for over 300 years.

    He pointed out that Okerisa Aruwayo is sharing boundaries with Irowa, Okerisa Lulawo and Iwada and there was no problem among the neighbours.

    However, the Baale of Iwada, Chief Raphael Ajisola said the people of Okerisa Aruwayo were only sojourners on the land.

    He said: “I have a copy of the judgment by the High Court, Okitipupa which ruled that the land belongs to Iwada.

    He denied the claim that the attackers were from Iwada.

    Police spokesman in the State, Femi Joseph a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was aware of the communal crisis, adding that the case was under investigations.

  • Olubadan warns land grabbers

    The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1, has declared land and boundary disputes as the most pressing challenge he is facing as a monarch.

    The first class monarch, who received the Prof. TaoheedAdedoja-led Olubadan Advisory Committee at his Popoyemoja, Ibadan palace over the weekend warned land grabbers to steer clear of Ibadan in their own interests.

    Oba Adetunji wondered why land disputes had assumed such a worrisome dimension in recent times.

    “We have a Ghana-must-go bag full of land petitions in the palace. It is from this bag that we take out land petitions that we discuss on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays every week subject to availability of time.

    “A couple of times, we have had to approach the National Archives,” he said.

    According to him, almost every local government in the city and Ibadan metropolis is affected, making the application of stiffer penalty by the government against land trespass and defrauding of the unwary and innocent people imperative.

    Adedoja, who was a former minister of Special Duties and Sports, congratulated Oba Adetunji on his first coronation anniversary.

    He prayed to God to give him long life.

    Mogaji Mogannna Lere Adigun, an engineer,  who prayed to God to grant the Olubadan more wisdom to discharge his responsibilities, stated that since the monarch inaugurated the advisory committee over a year ago, they had been working on various ideas that would make Oba Adetunji’s reign successful.

    The committee’s deputy chairman, Niyi Ajewole, stated that a biography of the 41st Olubadan will soon be completed and publicly presented.

  • ‘Herdsmen destroying our land’

    Ijare community in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State at the weekend sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) letter to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and Commissioner of Police Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, following incessant attacks on farmers by herdsmen .

    The letter, which was signed by Olujare of Ijare, Oba Adebamigbe Oluwagbemigun and Aarinmo of Ijare High Chief Oluwole Oni said since November, the community had witnessed attacks of herdsmen on farmers.

    The Ijare leaders said  herdsmen “expelled” from Ekiti State have found their way to  neighbouring towns.

    They said last Monday, a group of herdsmen invaded a farm at Agbasa, attacked farmers and destroyed their crops.