Delta State government has demolished scores of illegal structures built on government lands especially on Dennis Osadebay University, in Asaba, the state capital.
The demolished buildings include hotels, a warehouse, a church building equally used as a school and other structures erected on government lands.
The demolition, which began on Friday June 21st 2024, at Anwai Road, where the owner of Mikado shop built his warehouse/Depot was brought down.
Members of the taskforce on Recovery of Government Lands continued with the demolition exercise of properties built on government lands without any interference.
The team led by Chief Frank Omare, with heavy security presence armed to the teeth, drafted from the Nigerian army, Police, Department of State Security (DSS) and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), stormed Anwai Road, Oshimili south local government area of the State where Mikado warehouse was located with two excavators (Bulldozers).
It didn’t take operators of the bulldozers more than 30 minutes to bring down the warehouse.
The battled ready team, demolished a fence protecting a plantain farm before moving to two other buildings on same Anwai Road and brought them down.
The team then moved to Camp 74, a densely populated area behind Government House with the arrival of more bulldozers and continued with its mass demolition of houses, caravans, including Kobbiz Luxury apartments and hotels.
Addressing journalists, Chief Omare, tipped that the State government was interested in individuals and government functionaries who arm-twisted unsuspecting members of the public to sell government lands.
He vehemently warned that if caught, such unscrupulous elements would be apprehended and dealt with by the law.
Hear him: “This is a continuation of the taskforce assignment in the State, we are still in Asaba axis. Ughelli, is yet to come, Warri, is yet to come, Isoko, is yet to come, Agbor, is yet to come, Patani, is yet to come,It is everywhere.
“Kwale, is yet to come, Ibusa, is yet to come. If you go to Ibusa, the government land that is there, you will get shocked. We are coming there and our governor is determined to get the lands back to government”.
Asked if there would be any form of compensation, he said: “How can we compensate? The citizens ought to pay for the equipment government is hiring because from the beginning the various agencies had told them that this is government land and they undermined it.
“since Kefas, Chief James Ibori’s time, Uduaghan’s time, Okowa’s time, now it’s Sheriff Oborevwori’s time.
“We are looking for the land grabbers, we are looking for those leaders who have misinformed the less privileged in this state. How can you sell government land?
“There are a lot of them that have ran away but government is going after them because the suffering is too much as a result of greed by a few people but if course, we cannot fold our hands, government is government.
“It is not about Governor Sheriff Oborevwori or Chief Frank Omare, it is about the policies of government. And of course, it is not targeted at anybody.
“They sold government lands and it is a crime. Go to Warri and see what is happening. How could you be building even on top of the road?
“So, dear Deltans, anywhere that you are in Delta State, please ask well. Even in your house ask whether the property you are, is on government land?. If it is on government lands, just remove your valuables because government will soon get there’.
He wade off rumour of having a roundtable talks between government and those he described as “land grabbers” for the purpose of giving them lands, saying, “responsible government will sit down with land grabbers to give government lands to them.
“Those are misinformation, it is blackmail and that is what some bloggers want to promote.
“Times are hard and what the populace are going through, it is not the intention of government to make them suffer but the land grabbers who felt that they are community leaders and youths selling their lands, government is coming after them.
“We tendered government gazette and Certificate of Occupancy before the public and you cannot have a counter Certificate of Occupancy.
“We are doing what is right as a government and we are going to be very firm and we won’t look at faces. There are people in government collaborating with the land grabbers but we also dealing with them,” he said.
