The Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers has arrested 19
suspects for alleged trespass, illegal occupation, forceful land
takeover and prevention of lawful entry by violence.

It was
learnt that the suspects were arrested by officials of the LSSTFLG, led
by the Coordinator, Owolabi Arole, and police officers attached to the
Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit in
connection with a land on Plot 1, Block II, Ogudu Phase II Government
Residential Scheme in the Kosofe Local Government Area of the state.

The
state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, who is also the
Chairman of the Special Task Force, Moyo Onigbanjo, noted that the
suspects had been handed over to the police for prosecution at the Lagos
State Special Offences Court in Ikeja.

He said, “The arrest is
the culmination of investigation carried out by the special task force
on land grabbers after a petition was submitted by attorneys of Ade
Bamtefa, the petitioner and claimant of the land.

“On receiving
the petition, officials of the task force swung into action. Both
parties were invited for a meeting to establish the veracity or
otherwise of the petition. It was, however, discovered from our findings
that the arrested persons resorted to self-help by not only trespassing
on the land which had been cordoned off with a ‘Keep Off’ inscription
pending the conclusion of an investigation, but also erecting structures
on the land.

“This is unacceptable and contrary to some sections
of the Property Protection Law, 2016. Government residential schemes
are planned schemes documented under the law which ordinarily shouldn’t
be subject to cases of land grabbing and illegal occupation.

“This
current trend of having land grabbers encroaching on land under
government schemes is unacceptable and will be treated seriously like
other cases of land grabbing.”

Onigbanjo urged land and property
owners in the state to perfect legal documents pertaining to their
property, noting that it would check land grabbers and ensure easy
administration of justice in the event that such property was encroached
on.

Source:- Punchng