The Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, has declared that the state’s anti-land grabbing law will be enforced without fear or favour.
He insisted that no individual, regardless of status, influence, or position, will be shielded from prosecution.
Ajulo, who also chairs the state Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force, made the assertion while reacting to the ongoing trial of Oba David Okunato and others over alleged land grabbing offences.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Oba and other defendants were on Thursday remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre by an Akure Magistrates’ Court, directing that Okunato would remain in custody pending the perfection of their bail.
Speaking in a statement on Friday in Akure, Ajulo said the state government would sustain its crackdown on land grabbers until sanity is fully restored to land administration across Ondo State.
He warned that individuals involved in illegal land transactions, forceful takeover of property, fraudulent resale of land, and acts capable of triggering communal unrest would face the full weight of the law.
According to the commissioner, the menace of land grabbing poses a serious threat to investment and economic development in the state.
Ajuloa said: “I must tell you that the issue of land grabbing is capable of driving away investors, especially those who genuinely intend to invest in Ondo state.
“We cannot fold our arms and allow criminal elements to destroy the investment climate and peaceful coexistence in our dear state.”
He stressed that the government was sending a “strong and unmistakable message” that the era of impunity in land dealings had come to an end.
“We are determined to restore confidence in land transactions in Ondo state and reinforce public trust in the government’s commitment to securing lives, investments, and property rights,” he added.
The commissioner also commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, describing his stance against land grabbing as bold and uncompromising.
According to Ajulo, the governor has made it clear that no individual, no matter how highly placed, would be allowed to undermine the peace, economic growth, and development of the state through illegal land activities.
He said: “The governor has given a clear and uncompromising mandate that land grabbing must be eradicated in Ondo state.
“We remain committed to protecting genuine landowners, safeguarding investors, and ensuring that the rule of law prevails in every part of the state.
“The message remains loud and unmistakable: the crackdown is active and uncompromising.
“The law is a respecter of no one, and anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law.”
