Ayodele Olalere
The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), on Wednesday, said the state government received a total of 1,000 petitions relating to land grabbing in the state in the last one year.
During the Ministerial Press Briefing to commemorate Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s first anniversary, Onigbanjo said that the petitions were received through the Special Task Force Against Land Grabbers, out of which 350 were successfully resolved within the year in review.
He said government made efforts to empower the Task Force to arrest and prosecute suspected land grabbers.
”This will send a strong signal about determination of the present administration to rid the state of illegal dispossession of landowners.
”The Task Force with five counsel received 1,000 petitions out of which 350 have so far been resolved, while over 600 are pending and are at various stages of resolution.
”About 20 suspects are currently being prosecuted in Court. 20 properties under dispute were marked with inscriptions by the office to prevent any further transactions until pending issues are resolved.
”The arrest and prosecution of several suspected land grabbers were also effected in conjunction with security personnel attached to the Governor’s Monitoring Team,” he added.
According to him, the Task Force successfully prosecuted a land grabbing case in Ejigbo involving one Adeoye in which warrant of arrest was issued against the three alleged land grabbers.
Another was the arrest and prosecution of a land grabber at Ogudu GRA residential Scheme II; and recovery of land from land grabber at Ojota, among others.
The Commissioner said that the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) also responded to various complaints, both formal and informal involving incidents such as rape, defilement, domestic violence, child abuse, neglect and maltreatment.
According to him, one of such domestic violence cases was the arrest and arraignment of an alleged wife molester, one Sulaiman Maiyegun who on May 5, 2020 posted the beating of his wife on social media which went viral.
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During the one year, trainings were also organised for Judges and Magistrates, while walk tagged a walk to ”commit and action” against all forms of sexual and gender based violence, was also organised.
In the area of Child’s right, Onigbanjo said that the Directorate of Citizen’s Rights (DCR) received 1,308 petitions out of which 1,070 have been resolved, with 228 at different stages of resolution.
”These petitions spread across the departments various units, which includes the Human Rights Protection Unit (HRPU), Consumer Rights Protection Unit, Monetary Claims, Family Matters, the Employee/Employer Matters, and One stop Child Justice Centre.
”The department also took part in prison watch which would take effect from May 2020 and conducted several rescue missions on abused children.
”Specifically, three children were rescued from their stepmother at Ikorodu; a 12-year-old boy was also rescued from his violent mother at Agege, while seven judgements were obtained at the National Industrial Court and an amount of N21,353,319 was recovered,” he said.
