The police command in Ogun State has said it will henceforth treat land grabbers terrorising the state as armed robbers and murderers.
The command’s spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who spoke on a radio station in Abeokuta, said land grabbers are more or less armed robbers in their mode of operation.
He decried the level to which some acclaimed landowners hire thugs to invade Ogun communities with arms.
According to him, when these land grabbers invade their targeted communities, they attack and send away residents, while maiming or even killing people in the process.
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He said the command would not allow anyone to take the law in their hands on the pretence of taking possession of land he won in court.
“Those people you call land grabbers are armed robbers. They have guns and all forms of dangerous weapons. They may claim they have a court judgment; they will now gather thugs in a vehicle with guns and other weapons. They will send some people out of their communities and those villagers will never be allowed to return.
“They will slaughter people’s goats and chickens to eat. Are they not armed robbers? If you win a case, it is not your right to go and execute the judgment as an individual. The court bailiff is the one to execute the judgment and he will go with the police.
“But these land grabbers will get judgments on one plot of land and they will extend it to over 30 acres. If they are caught, the Ogun State Anti-land Grabbing Law would be used to prosecute them. If they kill somebody, they will be charged with murder. If they hijack what belongs to another person, we’ll charge them for armed robbery. They should be warned!” Oyeyemi said.
