30th September, 2016
The Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences says it has arrested five suspected land-grabbers operating in Lekki and Ajah areas of Lagos.
Chairman of the task force, Olayinka Egbeyemi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the suspects were arrested on Thursday in conjunction with the state task force on land grabbing.
”We acted on save our soul messages sent by members of the community who were chased away from their land with dangerous weapons by the land grabbers.
“The leader of the gang, who refused to disclose their godfathers, claimed they had been operating around Lekki-Ajah for about 15 years,” said the task force chairman.
In a related development, the police in Lagos said the three suspected land grabbers arrested in August have been charged to court for violating the state anti-grabbing law.
The police spokesperson in the state, SP Dolapo Badmos, said that land grabbing was an offence in Lagos State and warned that anyone caught would be prosecuted.
“The Lagos State Police Command will continue to enforce all laws of the land and anyone violating the laws, irrespective of the offender’s personality, will be prosecuted,” Badmos said.
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State had on Aug. 5, 2016, assented to the law prohibiting land grabbing in the state.