The Lagos State Government has dislodged suspected land grabbers from some parcels of land in Ajah.
An enforcement exercise was carried out by officials of the Lagos State Taskforce on Land Grabbers (LSTFLG) last Thursday to dislodge the suspects from parcels of land measuring 50.06 hectares situated at Block E, Plot 2 at Sangotedo, Lekki Peninsula sub-region in Eti-Osa Area of the state.
Chairman, LSTFLG, Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN), while reviewing the report on the enforcement exercise, urged citizens to bring to the attention of the taskforce any issue bordering on land grabbing by addressing such petition to his office or by calling the LSTFLG hotlines 09096667123, 09020085005.
Reacting to the development, the Ajah Community Developers Association (ACDA) expressed gratitude to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Government for helping out.
Its General Secretary, Oladele Ojogbede, lauded the efforts of the governor, the Ministry of Justice and the State Attorney-General for ensuring that the association took peaceful possession of the land.
He said the successful dislodgement of land grabbers from the association’s land by the LSTFLG was a testimony to the fact that the zero tolerance posture of the Sanwo-Olu-led administration on land grabbing in Lagos State is true and real.
“I can say without equivocation that justice is served and seen to be served by the Lagos State Government on this case. The administration of justice by the state land grabbers task force since the petition we wrote has been nothing short of superb,” he said.
Ojogbede explained that the suspected land grabbers had forcefully encroached and seized the parcels of land belonging to the Ajah Community Developers Association.
He said they prevented the association from taking possession of the land, adding that the association petitioned the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Moyosore Onigbanjo to seek for justice.
According to him: “We submitted a petition to the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), who is also the chairman of the task force to report forceful obstruction of access, persistent encroachment and disruption of development work on the land by the suspected land grabbers; demanding justice and the right to take possession of the land.
“After submission of petitions alleging a case of land grabbing against some communities and individuals, officials of LSTFLG on receiving the petitions swung into action to establish the veracity or otherwise of the petition.
“Our association submitted a copy of the Certificate of Occupancy and Composite Survey Plan. The outcome of the painstaking investigation by LSTFLG established that the land was allotted to our association by the Lagos State Government, giving us right of occupancy and right of possession in respect of the parcels of land, thus prompting the enforcement exercise,” he said.
He explained further that the LSTLG during the dislodgement pulled down all illegal structures erected by the suspected land grabbers, adding that the land has since been returned to the association.
“We therefore expressed our profound gratitude to the Lagos State Government, the Governor, the Attorney General and officials of the LSTFLG for ensuring we took peaceful possession of our land, and for restoring our hope in the administration of justice,” Ojogbede said.
He urged citizens who have been illegally dispossesed of their rightfully-owned landed properties to seek redress from LSTFLG rather than resorting to self help and taking the laws into their hands.
He advised residents, especially land and property owners, to perfect title documents as well as all other legal documents pertaining to their properties.