…says menace threatens genuine investment in property business
By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
The Centre For Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has called on the Lagos State Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu,Inspector -General of Police, the Director of Department of State Services (DSS), and other relevant authorities to end the activities of land grabbers in Ojomu Ajiran land in Eti-Osa Local Council Area of the state.
According to CHSR, the activities of land grabbers,apart from the untold hardships given to people, is causing serious economic loses to the government,as investors are scared to put their money in lands that they are not sure of tomorrow.
Ojomu Ajiran community had alleged infringement of their rights by landgrabbers who disturb their and raised the alarm over the gruesome murder of one their Sherrif Salami, on April 18,2023.
They also alleged the hijacking of legitimate land from their owners by land grabbers.
President of CHSR, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, at a press conference, yesterday, in Lagos, said the rate at which land grabbers terrorize Lagosians was worrisome and needed urgent attention from the government and security agencies.
“Several person have become victims of their menace, yet the governor and the security agencies have been silent over the issue . Activities of the land grabber is becoming more formidable,despite the laws enacted to curb their activities.
CHSR has received a scores of telephone calls, from victims of land grabbing.
Omotehinse described land grabbing as criminal and primitive, saying that those involved in the act would not have a safe haven in the state,” Land grabbing activities have discouraged genuine investment in property business in the state, a development, which is affecting the economy of the state and rights of individuals.
“We have had various complaints about activities of land grabbers, and carried out some investigations and discovered a lot of people are being threatened,harassed, hijacked and the legitimate land owners are displaced”.
He therefore,urged Sanwo-Olu to address the issue of land grabbing and deal with the perpetrators fingered by victims stressing the implication of land grabbing for the economy of Lagos and preventable losses incurred by investors as a result of the activities of land grabbers.
“To tackle the issue, government need to review the activities of existing Land Grabbing Committee and strengthen the law setting it up to properly address the issues.
“As the Chief Security Officer of the State, we implore Governor Sanwo-Olu to use the state machinery to ensure that peace continues to reign in all nooks and crannies of the state by ensuring that a panel of enquiry is set up to look into the matter and bring all perpetrators to book in ensuring that justice prevail.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu-led administration should equally ensure that the menace of land grabbing is completely eradicated in the state,” he said.
Omotehinse highlighted certain events that unfolded in Ojomu community .The killing of a youth leader in Ojomu community, Sherrif Salami and demand that Lagos State government and the Police should probe his death and give justice to the deceased who left behind three kids and an aged mother.