Anyone who grabs lands unlawfully in any part of Oyo State and found guilty in the court of law would be jailed for 15 years.
The acting Governor of the state, Barrister Abdulroheem Bayo Lawal, made this disclosure on Sunday.
Lawal, who spoke after inaugurating the Task Force Unit of the real properties law of Oyo State at the weekend, declared that land grabbing will no longer be tolerated in the state.
He explained that offenders now face up to 15 years jail term.
Lawal while speaking further, added that those who aid and abet land grabbers will also not go scot-free.
He urged members of the Task Force to put an end to the activities of land grabbers in the state.
Lawal, while addressing members of the committee, said that land speculators and some lawless individuals who want to reap from where they did not sow, engage in all sorts of antics to disturb and dispossess landed properties from their rightful owners.
He explained further that some of the land grabbers use force to demand fees from the property owners.
He added that most of them inflict bodily injury on the owners, sell another person’s property and stop construction activities with the use of force.
He noted that it is on this note that the committee was set up so as to tackle the menace.
“Land grabbing will no longer be tolerated in Oyo State and under the law, land grabbers can now be jailed for up to 15 years while those who aid and abet them will also not go scot-free.
“Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, land speculators and some lawless individuals who want to reap from where they did not sow, engage in all sorts of antics to disturb and dispossess landed properties from their rightful owners.
“Some of them use force to demand fees from the property owners, inflict bodily injury on them, sell another person’s property and stop construction activities with the use of force, to mention a few.
“It is against this background that the Real Properties Protection Law, 2016 was enacted. However, the Law has not taken effect due to the fact that the Task Force Unit, which is the operational unit of the Law, has not been in existence.”
Daily post
