Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has warned land grabbers that ten yeear prison term await anyone who violently or forcefully enters into state-owned property.
Chairman of Edo State Public Property Protection Committee, Hon. Eugene Okoloise who stated this, said there would be ‘no sacred cow’ with the signing of a law prescribing 10 years imprisonment for offenders.
Okoloise, who disclosed this in Benin on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the new law, said over 500 state-owned properties have been recovered from individuals since he took over office.
He also warned that his committee would not give in to pressure from high individuals or group in ensuring strict adherence to the new law.
Okoloise, who said he was passionate in making ensuring that all government properties in the hands of individuals were recovered, warned that no one would be treated as a scared cow in his bid to recover government properties.
He said, “Before now, there was no law empowering us to prosecute offenders. But now that the governor has signed this law, no excuse. Anyone caught would be prosecuted in accordance with the law. And to this effect, the government has set up a special court to prosecute anyone who sells or encroaches on government property.
“And I want to assure Edo people that anyone caught shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law, no matter how highly placed. We are not going to spare anyone or treat anyone especially for his or her status.”
He disclosed that to make the law known to the public, his committee has started enlightenment through the media and community-to-commununity enlightenment campaign.
“We are going to sensitise the general public including the rural dwellers that there is a new law to prosecute anyone that forcefully enters government property.
“I have plans of going round media houses to sensitise our people. Briefing you on the new law is part of the enlightenment campaign,” he said.
