The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has resolved to address land grabbing in the state, as property transactions have now been greatly hindered by the activities of the Omo-Onile and Ajagungbales.

A statement on Sunday said the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, who was represented by the Director, Office of the Public Defender, Dr Babajide Martins, stated this at a stakeholders meeting held to sensitise residents of Epe and Ibeju communities on the nefarious activities of land grabbers and the State Property Protection Law.

Onigbanjo stated that the rising cases of land grabbing were an issue of great concern to the state government.

He said, “As part of efforts to address the issue of land-grabbing in the state, the Lagos State Government enacted a law to prohibit the forceful entry and illegal occupation of landed property, as well as violent and fraudulent conducts concerning the landed property in Lagos.”

The commissioner emphasised that the law on land grabbing, enacted in 2016, still stood regardless of one’s status in the society.

On his part, the Oba Alara of Ilara Kingdom, Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, said that land grabbers, for decades, had constituted a threat to property acquisition in Lagos.

He urged the present administration and the Police to ensure immediate prosecution of identified land grabbers and their sponsors to serve as a deterrent to others.