Ogun State Proposes 25-year Jail Term For Land Grabbers

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The Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a bill proposing 25 years imprisonment or death sentence for anyone found guilty of land grabbing.

The assembly in its deliberations on Tuesday also prescribed a death sentence if a life is lost during the “forceful takeover of land with the use of any fire arms, offensive weapon, obnoxious or chemical materials.”

The passage of the bill follows the presentation of the report of special joint committees on Lands and Housing as well as Justice, Ethics and Public Petitions.

The Deputy Speaker and sponsor of the bill, Honourable Olakunle Oluomo moved a motion for the adoption for the report of the committee. It motion was seconded by Honourable Adebiyi Adeleye and supported by the whole house.

The bill equally spelt out a N5m fine or 10 years imprisonment or both for anyone found guilty of contracting an agent for the purpose of forceful takeover of any land in the state.

Kidnappings, Abductions, Robberies

The new bill also spells out punishment for robbery.

According to it, ”any person who commits the offence of robbery shall upon trial and conviction under this law be liable to a sentence of imprisonment of a term not less than twenty-one years, while conviction for armed

robbery attracts death sentence.

The bill which also provides that in case of kidnappings, abductions, violent rituals resulting in death or bodily harm, forcible detention and related offence “where the person kidnapped, restrained detained, kept, abducted or seized dies in the course, the offender shall be liable on conviction to such punishment as provided for the offence of murder under Section 319 (1) Criminal Code Law of Ogun State, 2006 or such other law for the time being in force.”

The bill added that where “the person does no die in the course,

the offender shall be liable on conviction to punishment for life imprisonment with hard labour and without an option of fine”.

The Speaker of the House, Suraju Adekunbi ordered that a clean copy of the bill be sent to the State governor Ibikunle Amosun for his assent.