Be Humane With Victims Of Land Grabbing – Edodo-Eruaga Urges Communities

…Committee resolves over 25 cases of land disputes in one sitting

By Simeon OSAJIE

The chairman of the Edo State Private Property Protection Committee, Hon. Justice Alero Edodo-Eruaga has charged community heads, including the Enigie, Odionwere and Okaeghele from various communities in Edo state to be more understanding and lenient with victims of land grabbing in Edo State as issues pertaining to their  cases are being determined by the Committee.

Justice Edodo-Eruaga made this admonition at the end of the Committee’s sitting in its office  in Government House, Benin City.

She said that resolutions should be to unite rather than to severe family and friendly ties and that the state government’s purpose for setting up the committee is to deepen communal relations and restore peace in Edo communities. 

A total 25 number of cases mostly involving communal land disputes were listed for during the committee sitting yesterday, and while hearings commenced in some, several others were either resolved or adjourned for further hearing.

The Committee Chairman told Counsels to some of the Respondents to advise their clients that everyone should be carried along in the arrangements for settlement when resolutions had been reached, stating that both  buyers and sellers should be  regarded as victims of land grabbing and therefore should be treated with tolerance.

According to her, “Let your billings have human face, and as you give to those who genuinely acquired property in error, also accommodate others who it has been determined genuinely sold in error.”

Justice Eruaga maintained that the whole essence of mediation, and the criminal part of it, which is to recover property or send same for trial at the High Court is to bring peace to genuine land owners and to the communities at large.

Committee sitting continues in Benin City.