Illegal land acquisition: Edo warns property developers against sales of Govt land, reads riot act

The Edo State Government has warned real estate developers and other stakeholders in the built environment sector against acquiring land in various communities across the state without following due process relating to layout designs.

In a statement, Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., said the illegal laying out of acquired land by developers distorts the set-out Land Use Plan in the State and runs contrary to the Benin Master Plan and Edo State Regional Development Plan.

In the same vein, the Secretary to the State Government also said the Government’s attention “has been drawn particularly to the illegal sales and development of Edo State Government land covering 1,229 Hectares of land in Oke-Oroma, Obagie Nevbuosa, Obayantor 1 and Evbuekpen Communities in Ward 9, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area acquired through public notice and duly gazetted in No.2, Vol 3 of July 06, 2017.”

On the activities of real estate developers, he said, “Edo State Government has observed that some real estate developers have, of recent, embarked on the acquisition of land in various communities across the State, commenced parceling layouts and selling the same to unsuspecting members of the public without following the due process regarding layout designs.

He said the practice is at variance with the extant rules that govern such estate developments in the state, noting, “This illegal laying out of acquired land by these developers distorts the set-out Land Use Plan in the State and runs contrary to the Benin Master Plan and Edo State Regional Development Plan.”

Ogie urged, “Real estate developers are therefore by this notice warned to desist from this practice as you are required to liaise with the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to obtain appropriate approval in accordance with the law.

He warned that members of the public are hereby notified of the “RISK In buying land from real estate developers whose layouts are not registered. Such land may not be granted a Certificate-of-Occupancy, Building Permit and other enabling documents that will confer firm possession and ownership of property. The general public is hereby advised to desist from patronizing Real Estate Developers who are unable to show evidence of layout approval from the Ministry.”

On the illegal sales and development of Edo State Government land covering 1,229 hectares, Ogie warned that “Any person, group of persons or corporate bodies that have carried out any form of land transaction without Edo State Government approval does so at his or her own risk.

“Such transaction is illegal and persons involved will be visited with the full weight of the law, which includes the removal of such illegal structures and the cost of carrying out such action will be recovered from them. The public is hereby advised to be guided accordingly.”