Kunle Adelabu
Disturbed by the resurgence in the activities of the Land Speculators, popularly known as Landgrabbers, the Lagos State House of Assembly has engaged stakeholders in the state on how to checkmate the criminal elements and their illicit activities the menace take over the entire state once again.
The open ground located within the premises of the Assembly Complex was the venue of one day Stakeholders’ meeting where lawmakers, officials of the executive arm of the Lagos State Government and members of the general public had gathered on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, to discussed the issue.
Stakeholders at the public hearing, which was tagged, “Ways to Check The Resurgent Activities of Land Grabbers in the state”, called on the state government to follow the process laid down in the Land Use Act of 1978 regarding the acquisition of land from families or communities.
They also passed a vote of no confidence on the Nigerian Police in the State, particularly the way and manner in which their officers handle land matters and also indicted officials of the state government as major culprits in land offences.
Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the Chairman of the 8-man adhoc committee saddled with the responsibility of finding ways to curtail the resurgence of the activities of the land grabbers, while welcoming guests to the public hearing, stated:
“On behalf of the Rt. Hon Speaker and the entire members of the Lagos state House of Assembly, I welcome you all to this public hearing put together to invite and obtain suggestions and ideas from the general public and critical stakeholders on how to curtail the dangerous activities of land grabbers in the state.
“I invite you to recall that at the ugly peak of the violent and ignoble activities of land grabbers some years ago, the House of Assembly passed a private member bill to law. The law is what is known today as property protection Law of Lagos State.
“Sequel to the law, the executive constituted an anti land grabber committee to superintend the enforcement of the law.
“It is good to note that Lagosians experienced a pleasant moment of relief at the passage of the law and its enforcement by the committee but how long did this pleasant experience last before the land grabbers staged a gradual comeback?
“The 15 paragraph Property Protection Law prohibits forceful land take-over and makes 10 years imprisonment the punishment for someone who upon conviction is found liable for the offence”.
Hon. Agunbiade, the initiator of the bill which eventually turned into law, lamented the resurgence of the menace and its threat on the state, especially the way it has been affecting social and economic spheres of Lagos State.
“Despite all of the forgoing of the provision of the law and establishment of a task force unit as provided by section 12 of the law, to take responsibility for enforcement of the provision of the law, with power to arrest, it is worrisome that land grabbing activities are resurfacing with impunity in the state, endangering real estate business and initiating more able bodied youths into land grabbing militias with all attendants criminal tendency”.
Agunbiade condemned the performances of the special court put in place for the purpose of handling the land grabbing matters, due to the fact that many of those allegedly involved in maiming and killing innocent residents, are living large without accounting for their deeds.
“The special offences court, conferred with jurisdiction under the law, has done little or no prosecution while those who maimed and killed members of land-owning families, innocent people as well as land owners who legitimately derive titles upon the land they occupied, are roaming the street freely and gallivanting about.
“Many innocent citizens of the state have been dispossessed of their properties and the extant law appears helpless to curtail these criminal activities”.
He expressed his dismay over the rate at which petitions regarding land matters are coming into the Assembly, alleging that the taskforce put in place by the state government is not effective.
“There are very many petitions on land matters in the house of Assembly, while one is being treated, about 10 others are coming in almost every other day, alleging sundry things, particularly ineffectiveness on the part of the task force and the committee on anti – landgrabbers activities.
“The committee itself has continued to lament the constraints foisted by lack of effective support from the Taskforce. If the committee on land grabbers activities is foot-dragging on petitions before it, how would landgrabbers and their collaborators be arrested and if they are not arrested for contravening the law, how can they be prosecuted?
The ranking lawmaker described land as the most prized possession in Lagos and urged that stakeholders should consider the landgrabbing issue as a major concern.
“It is a common knowledge that Land is to Lagos, what crude oil is to Nigeria, and owing to it’s very many direct and incidental values, we cannot close our eyes to the threat pose by the landgrabbers to land, state and the people.
“The issue of land grabbers is of general concern and whatever affects all should be debated by all. That is the essence of today’s gathering”.
The Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, charged stakeholders to freely explain what they have experienced regarding the issue of landgrabbing and guide the Assembly in forestalling activities of the landgrabbers that are threatening lives and properties in the state.
Speaker Obasa was represented by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni.
“All these should be addressed by the new law to be considered by the state Assembly. We want you to state all your experiences to reduce land grabbing in the state.
“Land is very important to the economy of Lagos State. We value land more than oil in the state.
“For the people of the state to live in peace, we have to discuss to be able to know what to do about landgrabbers in the state. We need to know what to do to stop their excesses.
“This House has an exclusive legislative framework to work on necessary laws to battle land grabbers in Lagos State”.
Obasa stated that the essence of any law is to be effectively implemented and guide against breach of the provisions of such law.
“Legislative functions are the bedrock of a democratic government. Regardless of how good or encompassing a law may be, the pride of the law is the practicability of the laws”.
“Laws should effectively address the needs of the people. We sit here to address the practicability of the Lagos State Property Law of 2016. Sections 2 to 3 prohibit forceful and illegal entering of another man’s land. Section 4 criminalises illegal occupation of properties,” he said.
Stakeholders Contributions
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Lands, Mr. Bode Agoro, said that there should be stiffer punishment for land grabbers in the state, and that the option of fine should be expunged from the law.
He prescribed 10 years imprisonment for the breach of any part of the law.
Representative of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Chief Sasore of Lagos, noted that the Land Use Act promulgated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as military head of state was not being implemented as the law did not permit people to use acquired lands for any other purpose other than the purpose that they were acquired for.
He charged the government to do property layout, provide infrastructures and make lands available for community developments.
Mr. Peter Oluwafemi Ajayi, another stakeholder, said that the laws of the state are not being properly enforced and that law enforcement agents should be up and doing.
He added that there will be no problem if officials of the government are obeying the law.
State Secretary of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Lagos State, Comrade Akeem Kazeem, said that land grabbers has taken over the workers village created for workers in Ayobo, Ipaja area of the state.
He pleaded with the state government to intervene by stopping the alleged criminal activities so that the purpose for which the village is acquired for, which is to enable all the civil servants in the State to have homes,is achieved.
Mr. Adegoke Oyetunde, a lecturer, blamed some traditional rulers for the invasion of communities by landgrabbers whom they invited but later took over control of such communities.
He also called for the effective implementation of the law.
“There must be punitive measures to every law, but effectiveness is very important. How we effect the punitive measures is very important,” he said.
On his part, an estate developer, Mr. Adebare Murphy (Topaz), said that there is no land grabber without the support of the government.
He emphasised that the government should look into the Land Use Act, stating that the act do not permit government to seize people’s land.
‘They (landgrabbers) work with the Land Bureau and NTDA. People would just come to a community to claim 500 or 2000 hectares of land just like that.
“Land Use Act of May 29, 1978, says government can only acquire land for public use and not to sell land to other people.
“They did it for us in Ajah and they have also taken land from people all over the state and drove the owners away.
“The lawmakers should look at the source of the land grabbers. They sell land to other people without using same land for the purposes they are meant for,” he said.
Mrs. Omolara Thomas Aigbe from Gbode Gbaga Kekere off Ijede Road, Ikorodu, said that land grabbers took over her two plots of land worth about N5 Million. She requested that traditional rulers should rise to the occasion and save people from suffering.
In his comment, Chief Victor Oludare Akinsanya, Baale of Salabo in Imota, said that they have land issues in her community, stating that they are being troubled by some hoodlums in the area.
Chief Sikiru Olorunnisola Cole, Baale of Iranla, stated that not all Baales sell land, and that the office of a Baale is continuum.
“A Baale that sold land would have died and they would indict the incumbent Baale. Some NTDA staff are the cause of the problems.
“We were in a case for five years with the wife of Prince Bola Ajibola over some pieces of land. They are working on the land at the moment.
“Many people get lands from the government for agricultural purposes but they will start selling the land for building. I hadfled my town on several occasions for fear of my lives”, he said.
Chief Joseph Adekunle Keshinro, Baale Gedegede in Eti-Osa, said that it all has to do with the government, which he said did not follow the provisions in the Land Use Decree.
Keshinro said that the government once took their land in a coastal area and that the government gave them a resettlement which he claimed was being sold by some people.
“They cut the land which was 750 hectares to 375 hectares . They have also started selling the land that they used as resettlement for the people in the coastal area.
“They stole our land and the law does not permit anyone to sell resettlement land. We have inform the government about it but nothing has been done yet”.
He said that landgrabbers and police work together and that there is no way the police could be of any help to them.
“The only solution is to go back to the Land Use Decree. The government has all the laws and the map of the state,” he said.
Alhaji Chief Okunmoyinbo Mustapha, Baale of Alasia Town, Eti Osa East, said that the government knows most of the land grabbers, and also urged the government to go back to the Land Use Act.
Mrs. Aminat Giwa also lamented that abuse by government officials whom he said usually keep parts of lands acquired and sold same after a while.
She said that she got to her land in 2009 but was taken over in 2018.
Mr. Kehinde Agboola, a blind man, narrated a pathetic scenario about how someone encroached on his land and built a big house on it.
“He was a commissioner and he was a Director of Health Insurance under former president Goodluck Jonathan. In 2017, I wrote to him through my lawyer that I am not fighting him and that I am a blind man.
“The letter was received by his neighbour as he had a case with the EFCC at that time.
‘He panicked then because he thought this could expose him. The person that received the letter knows me and when he came to me, I told him to talk to him to give me money to help me get another land somewhere, but he has not done so till now”, he said.
Agboola said that he went to appeal to the man but that he did not bulge.
He added that he eventually met the man and he promised to compensate him instead of allowing the matter to go to court because of his case in court but that he reneged on his promise and no longer picks his call.
“I want the people concerned to help me in handling my case. I have owed three years rent in the place l am staying now. My children are in the university.
“I have been begging to survive, I stay in Coker Aguda in Surulere area of Lagos. I need help to survive and I have all my documents with me. He went over the fence and gate to build on my land,”, he said.
Kunle Adelabu, a journalist with a community newspaper in Ikorodu, spoke about the encroachment of the Oriwu College land in Ikorodu.
“Some guys recently came and pulled down the fence of the school and took over some parts of the land of the school.
“I am an alumnus of the school and the school is the best in Nigeria at the moment. It is the pride of Ikorodu, Lagos State and Nigeria at large and this should concern the government.
“The land was donated to the college by Ikorodu and Igbogbo.
“People are correct to say that the government is the biggest land grabber. This is due to how government officials incharge of lands and acquisition conduct themselves.
“To resolve this issue and make the Assembly’s law effective, the government should beam its searchlights on some ministries, including land and physical planning. Some of their officials collude with land grabbers to steal land in the steal”, he said.
The journalist suggested a minimum of 35 years imprisonment for any offender of the law.
Alhaji AbdulRasak Olayiwola Oniposi, a management consultant, said that land grabbing is taking somebody’s property without his or her consent.
He said that once someone takes something that does not belong to him, there would be a problem and added that injustice is a threat to justice.
