Ogun State House of Assembly has accused the police in the state of conniving with land grabbers to intimidate victims.
The assembly also accused police of making illegal arrests and detainment of innocent residents of the state on trump-up charges in connivance with land grabbers in the state.
The speaker of the assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, made the allegations at the plenary on Tuesday when lawmakers complained about the rampant cases of land-grabbing in their various constituencies while debating on the second reading of the State Anti-land Grabbing (amendment) bill.
He lamented that hundreds of innocent residents had continued to languish in various police cells at Alagbon in Lagos and the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Oluomo appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to wade in and ensure that innocent people are not made to suffer on account of trump-up charges.
Oluomo advised that any land related matters should be charged to court while promising that the new amendment to the bill titled: H. B. No. 006/ OG/ 2023 – Prohibition of Forcible occupation of Landed properties, armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, violence and other related offences (Amendment) Law, 2023 would ensure a constitution of a task force by the state government to handle land related matters.
Earlier while opening debate on the bill, the sponsor, Damilola Soneye, lamented that the issue of land-grabbing had become rampant in the state, hence the need for the amendment to make the law more effective and efficient
