Friday, March 29, 2024

Stiffer penalties await land grabbers, others – Ogun AG

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun State, Dr. Olumide Ayeni, has warned land grabbers and other perpetrators of illegalities to desist from such acts as stiffer penalties await them with the new Armed Robbery and other Related Offences Law made in the state.
Ayeni, who stated this while appearing on a live broadcast programme, said that the law was designed to encompass other crimes such as kidnapping, cultism, terrorism, rape, landlords/caretakers issues, amongst others, which were fast becoming threats to peace and orderliness in the state.
The commissioner said contrary to the notion in some quarters that the state government had plans to forcibly take over people’s lands, the new law was reviewed to anticipate and deal with rising cases of land grabbing, the actual perpetrators and their collaborators with stiffer penalties, ranging from death penalty with or without option of fine or a fine of N5 million.
‘‘The law is designed to deal with land grabbers, popularly known as ‘ajagungbales,’ the actual perpetrators and their sponsors with stiff penalties ranging from death penalties for issues of land grabbing that involves loss of lives, while fines of minimum of N5 million and above, criminal sanction of up to 25 years imprisonment, restitutive sanctions, which involve payment of fine as well as going to jail with a view to ensuring that the peoples’ right are not being infringed upon’’, he said.
Ayeni noted that the law, which consists of 57 sections, sets out in five parts, frowns upon acts of engaging in unwarranted violent activities within localities, adding that it would also address maltreatment of suspects by security personnel in and outside their custody.
Commending the House of Assembly for the quick passage of the bill, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice disclosed that a joint task force, comprising personnel of the police, Bureau of Lands, Ministry of Justice and others, would soon be set up to fully implement the law in the state.
He urged residents to inform the task force of any land grabbing activities going on in their localities for prompt response.

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