Ambode Moves Against ‘Omo n' ile’, Sets Up Task Force

Akinwunmi Ambode

LAGOS State Government on Monday set up a special task force towards checkmating the nuisance by land-grabbers notoriously known as ‘Son of the soil’ or ‘Omo n' ile’ over land transactions in the State and vowed to use the full weight of the law to deal decisively with anyone caught in the act.

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 bring the barbaric trend to abrupt end adding that his administration can no longer tolerate such aberrations and criminal acts being perpetrated against land owners...

However, it was not clear if the barbaric and criminal trend of the group which manifests blatantly by the endless and tyrannical demand of money at any stage of a building construction across the state is covered in the scope of duties of the committee.

The governor was quoted to have said that 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.

“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,” Kazeem said.

The Task Force, according to Kazeem, can be reached on 09096667123 and 09020085005 and on email address via omoonileTF@lagosstate.gov.ng adding 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.

It will be recalled that the nuisance of the land-grabbers in the state has disrepute the state and always discouraged non-indigenes from investing in landed properties except those with wherewithal to offset endless sundry fees being demanded repeatedly through various groups on the same subject.