Oiwona Launches Two Books

 

 NEWS EXTRA

LAND GRABBERS ON THE PROWL IN BENIN CITY

BY LEO EZEKIEL

Speaking on behalf of Benin Traditional Council (BTC) at the Palace of Oba of Benin Ewuare II Chief Henry Bazuaye, the Aiwerioghene of Benin Kingdom states that land grabbers are on the prowl in Benin City adding that the recent incidents at Ukhiri Village in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State whereby the ugly practice of land grabbing in Benin City and its environs had reached alarming proportions and he also added that individuals  and corporate owners of vacant land in Benin City and its environs often saw the property illegally encroached upon and wickedly sold off by unscrupulous youths.

 

Speaking further Chief Bazuaye states that the land grabbers sold off people’s land knowing full well that nefarious actions are very illegal adding that the buyers are also often in the know that they are buying other persons’ land illegally and he also added that the land grabbers and the illegal buyers argued that once a structure is hurriedly built on the illegally acquired property, that the Palace of the Oba of Benin forbids such property to be destroyed.

According to Chief Bazuaye “for this reason the practice of grabbing and developing other persons property had reached such an unaccepted dimension.

 

He again states that the practice must be halted un Ukhiri Village adding that the case of land grabbing had taken to unprecedented levels. He noted that the community leader, the Enogie of Ulegun Physically attacked the neighbouring community of Ukhiri and wickedly annexed their lands.

 

According to Chief Bazuaye “The Enogie of Ulgun and his community youths proceeded to sell off land of other persons and corporate bodies located in Ukhiri including land that belongs to the Palace, Chief Bazuaye noted that in many other land grabbing cases, both the buyers and sellers do adequately have full knowledge of the illegality of their nefarious activities adding that the Palace is heavily inundated with cases of land grabbing by victims who came to the Palace to seek redress and he also added that peoples farmlands have been wickedly invaded and sold off to willing accomplices.

 

He informs the gathering that some youths in Ogheghe Community did destroy the perimeter fence of church land belonging to Christ Embassy and that they have ungodly sold off the plots of land adding that the Palace has heavily and strongly condemned the action against Christ Embassy Church.

 

Chief Bazuaye states that the Palace wishes to commend and goad the State Government to do more in arresting this unsaviouring attitude of grabbing other people’s land with impunity thereby leaving the victims with no form of compensation or respite Chief Bazuaye states that several Parcels of land belonging to the Palace have been taken over by land grabbers adding that the recent incident in Ukhiri did happen because of the fiat of the Enogie and youths of Ulegun and as well as the illegal purchasers who hurriedly did build up structures to avoid the law.

Chief Bazuaye fore closes that the Palace condemns the practice of grabbing other persons land in Benin is against their culture.