Lagos Tackles Omo-onile With Task Force

The Lagos State Government on Monday set up a
Task Force to check the menace of land-grabbing
in the State, just at it vowed to tackle the
activities of land grabbers popularly calledOmo-
Onile with the full deployment of resources of
government and applicable law once and for all.
Speaking while inaugurating the Task Force, the
State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said the
administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is
determined to apply the full weight of the law to
permanently address the issue, adding that the
havoc and unrest being caused by land grabbers
was no longer acceptable.
He said henceforth, anybody who uses threat of
arms or physical threat to dispossess people of
their legitimate property will be treated as
criminals in accordance with Sections 52, 53 and
281 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
The Commissioner said it was noteworthy that
Section 281 of the criminal law included land as
things capable of being stolen, while Sections 52
and 53 of the law prescribe a jail term of two
years for any person who forcibly enters or takes
possession of land in a manner likely to cause a
breach of the peace against a person entitled by
law to the possession of the land.
According to Kazeem: “In recent years, land
grabbers have caused havoc and unrest in
different parts of the State by dispossessing
legitimate land-owners of their properties thereby
stifling commercial activities in the State.
“It is therefore important that the State
Government not only indentifies the effects of the
problems being perpetrated by these unscrupulous
elements on commercial activities and peace of
the citizenry but also finds lasting solutions to
the menace. That is the reasoning behind the set-
up of this Task Force.
“Furthermore, the need to protect investors and
maintain law and order also led to the setting up
of the Committee. This, by implication, will
encourage the verification of legal claims through
litigation rather than resorting to violence,” the
Attorney General explained.
The Task Force, according to Kazeem, can be
reached on 09096667123 and 09020085005 and
on email address via
omoonileTF@lagosstate.gov.ng.
Kazeem also disclosed that the State House of
Assembly was in the process of passing a law
that would exclusively deal with the activities of
land grabbers by prescribing appropriate stiff
punishment for offenders.
The terms of reference of the Task Force which
will operate under the supervision of the Attorney
General include: “To reduce to a barest minimum
the activities of persons or corporate entities who
use force and intimidation to dispossess or
prevent any person or entity from acquiring
legitimate interest and possession of property
acquired through State Government or private
transactions; to co-ordinate the efforts of the
various agencies of Government charged with
enforcing the State Government rights over land in
Lagos; and to work with all security agencies to
ensure enforcement of State Government and
private property rights in Lagos State.”
Members of the Task Force are Mr. Akinjide
Bakare, a Deputy Director in the Ministry of
Justice who will act as Alternate Chairman; Dr.
Afolabi Abiodun representing the Commissioner
for the Environment; Mr. Olayinka Wasiu Adebayo
and Mr. Faiq Abou both representing the Lands
Bureau; Mr. Saheed Kassim, Chief Security Officer
to Governor Ambode; Mr. Ganiyu Adebowale,
Commander of Governor’s Monitoring Team
(GMT) and Ms Mosunmola Balogun, who is to act
as the Secretary of the Task Force.
Responding on behalf of members of the Task
Force, Mr. Bakare pledged that though the terms
of reference was a very onerous task, the
Committee would rest on the might of the State
Government.
He said already petitions had been received from
several citizens including retired civil servants,
who had served the State meritoriously, adding
that it was pathetic that some people could
forcibly dispossess people of their legitimate
property, the more reason, according to him, why
the Task Force would vigorously pursue the
cause.