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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Several buildings were demolished early yesterday morning as the Edo State Government rolled out Caterpillars to take over a portion of land measuring 1,229 hectares along the Irhirhi-Obazagbon-Ogheghe Road in the Oredo Local Government Area of the state for the development of a new town.
The Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, in a statement, explained that the land was acquired in 2017 for the new town project but had been encroached upon by land speculators, adding that the area repossessed used to be a forest reserve at the time of the acquisition.
Recall that the state government had imposed a 24-hour curfew on the area from 12 am Thursday 29th to 12 am Friday 30th September to allow for a ‘security exercise’ which turned out to be a demolition exercise.
But according to the government statement yesterday, the repossession exercise is part of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s renewed campaign against land-grabbers, aimed at restoring sanity in land administration in the state.
The exercise was carried out by government officials backed by a combined team of security men comprising soldiers, police and members of Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV).
