…Charges community leaders on peace

A review of all cases on land grabbing and disputes relating to property that are lined up for settlement and resolutions before the Edo State Private Properties Protection Committee has been done in order to give room for hundreds of fresh cases lined up for listing and hearing.

Hon. Justice Alero Edodo-Eruaga(Retd), chairman of the committee, had at the close of sitting on Monday, January 30, informed other members of the committee that a review of all cases under the purview of the committee will be done, to assess the merits and demerits of each case with a view to expressly bringing the matters to logical conclusion or striking them off where necessary.

Several petitioners and respondents appeared before the committee during the Monday sitting to report their terms of agreement to the committee while some cases on legal advice were also heard.

The committee also heard reports of compensations paid to aggrieved petitioners based on the committee’s recommendations on terms of settlement, and reports on recovery of several properties from land grabbers, including developments at disputed land where the Edo-PPP Banners were placed by the police.

It frowned at the actions of some respondents who arbitrarily removed Edo-PPP banners while hearing was still ongoing and cautioned culprits against taking such actions. It also issued warrants of arrest on some respondents who abused privileges and failed to appear before the committee to defend their roles in land grabbing charges.

The Edo State Private Properties Protection Committee hears an average of 20 land grabbing cases at every of its sitting, and on daily basis, more petitioners throng the government house venue of the committee’s sitting to file in their petitions, make statements to the investigative police officers and have their cases filed for hearing.

Meanwhile, the committee has continued to charge communities on peace, advising community heads to make use of the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms which the committee offers in resolving their land disputes. Sitting continues in Benin City.