The Oyo State Government has intensified its crackdown on illegal land occupation, demolishing structures erected on government-acquired land in the Podo area, along Top One Garden in Oluyole Local Government, and Dizengoff, Kolapo Ishola area of Ibadan.
Commissioner for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo, who supervised the demolition, stated that the affected plots belong to the state government. He emphasized that any form of encroachment or illegal occupation would not be tolerated.
“The plots of land in question are assets of the Oyo State Government, and we will not allow land grabbers to take over what legally belongs to the state,” he said.
Akin-Funmilayo clarified that those occupying the land were not the rightful owners, describing them as “purely land grabbers.” He cited the Oyo State Real Property Protection Law, 2017, which prescribes up to 15 years of imprisonment for individuals engaging in land grabbing.
According to the commissioner, the state government had issued revocation notices to occupants of the affected areas as far back as September 25, 2012, and also published the notice in a newspaper.
Additionally, the land was gazetted the same year to develop a neighborhood market. Despite legal warnings, some occupants challenged the government in court but ultimately lost the case.
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