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Inside Edo
Edo Govt to commence demolition of illegal structures
Written By: Michael Odigbe
20 May 2025 05:53 PM
Benin, Edo – The Edo State Government will soon begin to reclaim all its landed properties across the state encroached on by illegal occupiers in line with the 2022 law invested in the state's physical planning and development agency.
The managing director of the body, Mr Darlington Imoisili, disclosed this warning during an interview with a media house in Benin, Edo State today.
He noted with utter dismay that because of indiscipline several people in the state erected structures on the city's moats, on road alignments, on farmlands on prohibited flood pathways and even on government land.
He went on: "My agency has embarked on a sensitization programme on these issues to ensure this culture of impunity is discontinued. "Meanwhile, we have identified all of these illegal structures and documented them.
"We are set to reclaim all of them. There will be no mercy. All the trespassers have have been notified of government decision.
"No one should take this new administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo for granted. We have a list of all parcels of government land well documented by our sister agency EDO--GIS.
"We are ready to take full possession of them in no distant time."
According to him, demolition of some structures in certain bad cases will occur all in the public interest. Therefore, the exercise is not going to be a witch-hunt nor an expression of political and ethnic vendetta.
Also, he said the demolition that will be done is slow in coming because the state government is following an investigative legal process of due diligence in pursuance with the rule of law.
He further remarked that after demolition, the reclaimed properties won't be allowed to be fallow but will be put to proper use.
On a final note, Darlington Imoisili directed all estate agents and communities to come to his office with their layout plans before selling any plot of land in addition to checking with the relevant government authorities before either buying or selling land to the public so as to avoid trespass of government land.
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He emphasized that without approval of a layout or building plan, it is illegal to sell or erect a building.
The managing director of the body, Mr Darlington Imoisili, disclosed this warning during an interview with a media house in Benin, Edo State today.
He noted with utter dismay that because of indiscipline several people in the state erected structures on the city's moats, on road alignments, on farmlands on prohibited flood pathways and even on government land.
He went on: "My agency has embarked on a sensitization programme on these issues to ensure this culture of impunity is discontinued. "Meanwhile, we have identified all of these illegal structures and documented them.
"We are set to reclaim all of them. There will be no mercy. All the trespassers have have been notified of government decision.
"No one should take this new administration of Senator Monday Okpebholo for granted. We have a list of all parcels of government land well documented by our sister agency EDO--GIS.
"We are ready to take full possession of them in no distant time."
According to him, demolition of some structures in certain bad cases will occur all in the public interest. Therefore, the exercise is not going to be a witch-hunt nor an expression of political and ethnic vendetta.
Also, he said the demolition that will be done is slow in coming because the state government is following an investigative legal process of due diligence in pursuance with the rule of law.
He further remarked that after demolition, the reclaimed properties won't be allowed to be fallow but will be put to proper use.
On a final note, Darlington Imoisili directed all estate agents and communities to come to his office with their layout plans before selling any plot of land in addition to checking with the relevant government authorities before either buying or selling land to the public so as to avoid trespass of government land.
.
He emphasized that without approval of a layout or building plan, it is illegal to sell or erect a building.
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