The Lagos State government has noted that land-grabbing laws in the state will be reviewed to meet new realities.
The Coordinator at the Lagos State Special Task Force, Shomade Rukayat, said this while receiving the Lagos Assembly Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Public Petitions.
The Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, at a stakeholders meeting in February, said 7,500 petitions were received on land grabbing in the state.
A statement on Sunday noted the House committee embarked on a familiarisation visit to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) under its supervision.
The committee paid a visit to the Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Citizen Mediation Centre as well as the Office of the Administrator-General and Public Trustees, Law Enforcement Training Institute, Office of Public Defender, and the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission.
The exercise was aimed at establishing a cordial relationship between the Assembly and the MDAs for the progress of the state.
Shomade while receiving the committee, explained that the department oversees the issue of land-grabbing in the state. She added that the task force is a department under the Office of the Attorney-General of the state.
She said her office does not receive petitions directly but that the petitions come from the Office of the Attorney-General of the State to her office.
“She also expressed optimism that the Land Grabbers Law of Lagos State would be reviewed to meet new developments”, the statement said.
At the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, the Executive Secretary, Titilayo Vivour-Adeniyi, explained that the agency was an organisation committed to ensuring the total eradication of sexual and gender-based violence in the state.
“Our mission is to provide sensitive services to victims of domestic and sexual violence while promoting healthy relationships as we strive to enhance our coordinated community response to domestic and sexual violence in Lagos State and indeed in Nigeria”, she emphasised.
The chairman of the committee, Oladipo Ajomale, who led the team from the Assembly, stated that the oversight function was one of the core responsibilities of the Assembly subject to the approval of the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa.
