Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Abiodun Makinde
The Oyo State Government has demolished illegal properties built on its acquired land in the Podo area, along Top One Garden, Oluyole Local Government, and Dizengoff, Kolapo Ishola area, Ibadan.
Commissioner for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo, confirmed the demolition, stating that the affected plots are government assets and that encroachment will not be tolerated.
“These lands belong to the Oyo State Government, and we will not condone any form of illegal occupation,” Akin-Funmilayo said during the exercise. He described those developing the land as land grabbers rather than legitimate owners.
Citing the Oyo State Real Property Protection Law, 2017, he emphasized that land grabbing is a serious offense, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
He also revealed that notices of revocation were issued to occupants in the Podo area, with a public notice published in a newspaper on September 25, 2012. The land was officially gazetted the same year for the development of a neighborhood market.
Despite multiple warnings, some occupants took legal action against the government, but the court ruled in favor of the state.
