"Criminalize Land Grabbing, Omo Onile Syndrome", ERCAAN Urges Oyo Govt

As the nefarious activities of land grabbers, also known as "Omo Onile" continue to increase on a daily basis in Ibadan, the regulatory body of the real estate sector, known as Estate and Rent Commission Agents Association of Nigeria (ERCAAN), has called on Oyo State government to replicate an action taken by Lagos State against the menace.

It would be noted that Lagos State House of Assembly last week passed a bill to prohibit forceful entry and illegal occupation of landed properties, violent and fraudulent conduct in relation to landed properties in Lagos into law.

And if found guilty by provision of this bill, land grabbers popularly known as ‘Omo Onile or Ajagungbales’  will face a maximum of 21 years and a minimum of five years imprisonment respectively if convicted.

The body in a statement issued and signed by the National Executive Vice President of ERCAAN, Chief Akintunde Opaleye and made available to The Anchor Online noted that the activity of the land grabbers in Oyo State, especially in Ibadan is taking a dangerous dimension thereby calling for concern.

The estate managers urged Senator Abiola Ajimobi to toe the path of Lagos State by enacting a stiff penalty on the land grabbers in order to stem their activities that is on the increase in the state.

The body which was formed to regularize the Real Estate Agency practice frowned at the way the land grabbers are causing havoc and unrest in different parts of Oyo State by dispossessing legitimate land owners of their properties. It therefore called on Oyo State government to swiftly check this menace by instituting a legal action.

“Lagos State had earlier in June inaugurated a five-man Special Task Force to curb the criminal activities of the land grabbers with the determination to henceforth enforce the right of the state government over land in Lagos and to also work with all security agencies to implement state government and private property rights”, the statement reads.

ERCAAN also noted that the association had earlier suggested to the Abiola Ajimobi administration to establish a ‘Land, Housing and Allied Matters Commission’ in the state in order to regularize the activities in the real estate sector and further earn the government more revenue, adding that, “that’s the only way to checkmate the activities of charlatans who have dominated the sector, going around defrauding innocent citizens through land acquisition by exploiting the loopholes in judicial processes to dispossess people of their properties”.

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