The Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area in Rivers State, Hon. Obarilomate Ollor, has announced the immediate suspension of all real estate activities in the council area over alleged widespread land grabbing, forceful encroachment, and criminal activities on ancestral lands.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at the Eleme Local Government Council Secretariat, Ollor said he had signed an Executive Order halting all real estate operations pending a comprehensive review and verification process.
He alleged that land grabbers, working with some real estate developers and armed thugs, had been invading ancestral lands along the Woji–Aleto–Alesa Link Road and the Agbonchia–Akpajo axis of the Port Harcourt Ring Road, terrorising residents and farmers.
According to him, the activities of the suspected land grabbers have led to assaults, extortion of indigenous landowners, illegal toll collection from farmers, destruction of property, and loss of lives.
“As a responsible government, we have a constitutional obligation to protect the lives and property of every resident of Eleme. We will neither fold our arms nor allow criminal elements to dispossess our people of their ancestral heritage,” he said.
The council chairman directed all real estate developers, surveyors and individuals intending to undertake land-related business in Eleme to obtain clearance from the local government and secure all statutory approvals through the Office of the Executive Chairman before commencing operations.
He also ordered all persons allegedly involved in illegal land grabbing within the affected areas to immediately stop their activities and vacate the lands or face legal action. He reaffirmed the council’s resolve to protect Eleme’s ancestral lands through lawful means.
