By Ambrose Nwaogwugwu
OWERRI — The Imo State Government has declared a fresh offensive against the illegal acquisition of government-owned lands, warning that all unlawfully occupied plots will be reclaimed, illegal structures demolished and offenders prosecuted.
The government said the enforcement exercise, which takes immediate effect, is part of its renewed determination to restore order in land administration, protect public assets and curb the growing activities of illegal land dealers across the state.
The directive was contained in a public notice issued on Tuesday by the Office of the Governor and signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Monitoring and Compliance, Nze Chinasa Nwaneri.
According to the notice, the recovery exercise follows earlier public warnings issued by the state government and will target all government lands allegedly acquired, allocated or occupied outside the approved legal process.
Among the affected locations are Redemption Estates 1, 2, 3 and 4 owned by the Imo Housing Corporation, Area P, New Owerri, Area T, Area K, Alaoma Layout, Paradise Layout, Ottamiri North, Ottamiri South, Naze Industrial Layout, Ogbaku Estate Layout and several other government layouts across the state.
The government warned that any buildings, fences, partitions or other developments found on illegally acquired government lands would be demolished without further notice, stressing that adequate public notices had already been issued to affected individuals.
It also vowed to prosecute anyone found to have forged land documents, fraudulently allocated government plots or participated in the illegal sale of government lands outside the established legal process.
Officials said the exercise is designed to protect government property, strengthen transparency in land administration and ensure that genuine property owners and investors are not disadvantaged by fraudulent land transactions.
The state government further urged residents, developers and prospective land buyers to verify the authenticity of land titles and ownership documents with the appropriate government agencies before purchasing any property.
Reaffirming its commitment to the rule of law, the government maintained that it would continue to take decisive steps to safeguard public assets and ensure that those who violate land administration laws are held accountable.
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